Superstars need to earn label

In the sports world, we're always trying to find a duplicate of the original genius — the Next Montana, the Next Arnold Palmer, the Next Ali, the Next Secretariat.

Nobody ever called a physicist the Next Einstein. Or a politician the Next Lincoln. Or a rising painter the Next Van Gogh.

But about a dozen basketball players have been anointed The Next Michael Jordan.

Go figure. For the first 85 years of professional basketball, there was no Jordan, but even before he retired (three times), people were searching for the heir to his Airness.

It's been 10 years since Jordan played in his last championship game, and they're still searching. In the last couple of weeks, they tried to pass the baton to LeBron James, but he gave it right back, for now.

He is only the latest in a long line of Next Jordans. The media and Madison Avenue have tried mightily to attach the title to Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Dwyane Wade, Garnett, James and a few others, but so far none has stuck.

After "King" James took over the Eastern Conference finals for a couple of games, just like that — swoosh! — Nike and the media rushed in to pronounce LJ the next MJ. Nike, which pays James $90 million, ran TV commercials during the finals: "We are all Witnesses."

James, as it turned out, was very ordinary as his Cleveland Cavaliers were swept in four games. He never could take control of a game in the finals, a la Jordan, blowing numerous opportunities with turnovers and missed shots. We were all witnesses.

Memo to Nike: Be careful before you make superstar pronouncements. Better let them earn it first.

But that's not the modern way of course. First, they are anointed with superstar status, then they go out and try to earn it, not vice versa.

Sports Illustrated put James on its cover of its magazine in February 2005 accompanied by the headline: "BEST EVER?" He was 20 years old and in the middle of his second season.

Last week the same magazine put James on the Cover again: "LEBRON ARRIVES." But then he didn't.

A week earlier the magazine ran a story under the headline, "NOT QUITE READY YET," followed by the usual MJ comparisons.