Try watching LeBron's "Rise" Commercial now. It might feel a little different. VIDEO.

Watching this now, for most of us, might feel a little different. When the "Rise" television commercial first came out, I'd like to believe the world's attitude towards LeBron James was a bit conflicted. There were a lot of mixed feelings over what he did or didn't do. But this season, LeBron has been so crazy efficient, he's making everyone else in the NBA look sloppy. (Unless they're playing for the Spurs)

If you're one of the many hard-core LeBron fans, you're probably not surprised. Ganyan na siya noon pa. But for most followers, LeBron is making the mainstream fan go, "Grabe na yan." He just became the first NBA player to score at least 30 points on at least 60 percent FG shooting for 6 straight games. Grabe na yan 'Bron. Not that he wasn't phenomenal before. But when out-of-this-world excellence and out-of-this-world consistency meet, and it doesn't happen often, ibang level na talaga yun. 

Consider this: Blake Griffin is shooting 65 percent on free throws while LeBron James is shooting 66 percent on field goals in his last 7 games. I'm not criticizing Blake. He's an amazing player. Pang-context lang 'to. One guy shoots 65 percent on free throws. Walang depensa sa free throws. Mag-isa ka lang. Take your time. This other guy is shooting 66 percent on field goals for 7 straight games. May depensa. Outside shots. Penetrations. Clutch baskets. Not all slam dunks on fast breaks. 

This is no longer about LeBron James vs Michael Jordan or LeBron James vs Kobe Bryant. Those are fun debates but not essential ones. To be completely fair to LeBron James, it's really about LeBron James trying to beat LeBron James. Game in. Game out. It's self-motivation to the highest degree. LeBron knows. That's the only way out-of-this-world excellence and out-of-this-world consistency can go side by side. MH