Sports
LeBron James was the athlete who dealt with the most pressure in 2011. After his highly criticized “The Decision” fiasco in the summer of 2010, James needed desperately to win an NBA championship as a member of the Miami Heat.
But he returned to square one after having several lousy fourth quarter performances and eventually losing to the Dallas Mavs. The pressure on James will continue to mount until he walks away with an NBA championship ring.
Ron Washington nearly made history by becoming just the second black coach to win the World Series. However, a pathetic showing of defense in Game 6 by the Texas Rangers allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to battle back after being one out away from defeat.
While Michael Vick signed his second $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, Cam Newton took the spotlight by having one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.
Kobe Bryant could be headed toward his worst season as an NBA player. The Lakers GM hired a new coach, Mike Brown, who wasn’t high on Bryant’s wish list after the retirement of Phil Jackson; the Lakers were manhandled by David Stern who would not allow Chris Paul to be traded to their team; and Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, filed for divorce one week before the start of the season.
