It was three summers ago when LeBron James alienated much of the pro basketball caring world after joining up with the Miami Heat, declaring that the "Big 3" — himself, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade — would win "multiple championships." How many? "Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Not five. Not six. Not seven."
Well, we know how that's worked out so far. The Heat lost in the 2011 Final, won it last year against Oklahoma City, and are favored to win again tonight as they host the San Antonio Spurs in the climactic game seven. For the Heat's legacy, they need to win tonight.
Whether they win or lose, they'll surely be favored again in the 2013-2014 season. The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement that kicks in next year comes with a harder cap and a luxury tax for exceeding that cap, meaning the Big 3 will be no more in about 13 months.
I remember Rick Barry once saying pressure is something one puts on oneself. If that's the case, though every player in tonight's game will be feeling the pressure, it will be even hotter for "The Chosen One," since the window for those multiple championships may be closing faster than we thought.
On to local news. Next weekend is the St. Pete Pride festival, an event no St. Pete Mayor has ever attended. Nor has any St. Pete mayor ever signed a proclamation declaring June as LGBT month in St. Pete, until Bill Foster put his John Hancock on said document yesterday.
Whatever happened to the bid to save the Friendship Trail Bridge from demolition? It's still alive, if barely.
And Hillsborough commissioners unanimously passed their first vote on offering tax incentives to online retailer Amazon.com to build a "fulfillment center" in Ruskin.
A new poll said that a majority of Floridians don't like Marco Rubio's stance on immigration reform ... which is weird because some days it seems like Rubio doesn't like his own stance.
