We are witness

We all want to witness greatness. We want to tell our children and grandchildren that we were there for it. We want to tell stories of Bradman, Tulloch, Laver and Ian Stewart as our grandparents did. We want to replicate our parent's tales of Senna, Seve, Meninga and Magic.

It's why every new champion, number one draft, group 1 winner or first time major winner is the next big thing. It's the driving force behind the overuse of champion, legend, superstar and worst of all the greatest of all time in the media. It's the reason we compare Federer to Laver, Woods to Nicklaus, LeBron to Jordan, Phelps to Sptiz and Sugar Ray to Mayweather. We feel compelled to believe that we are watching something truly special. That we are witnessing will be something worth telling people about.

Is 17 in total better than the slam 7 years apart?

For this generation, my generation, it is why Federer, Woods, Vettel, Black Caviar, Warne and Messi are all so important. As grand slams, spring carnivals and world cups pass we hope once more that they can add to their list of accomplishments so our case strengthens, so that our stories to be retold get that little bit better. We don't want to tell our grand kids about the third best batsmen of the 2000's or the boxer who almost never lost. We want to tell them as we are walking along a fairway, "I saw Tiger Woods break Jack Nicklaus' major record". As we hit a volley back over the net we want to tell them about the great Roger Federer and how he made it to ten straight grand slam finals. As we bowl to them in the backyard we want to say how effortlessly Ponting scored or how far Warne spun it.

All of which leads to my point for today. When the Miami Heat take on the Indiana Pacers today it will test the theory of greatness, and it is only fitting that the man who we are all witness to is behind it.

Even before he was an NBA player, LeBron Raymond James was the next Michael Jordan. He was anointed King James before he'd won an MVP or a ring. As the years passed, the hype built, the stories unfolded and the man became more of a story than a player. But between the headlines, the disappointment (for some) and the fanfare, lurked one of the most talented and powerful athletes our generation, or any generation has seen. At 6' 8" (2.03m) and 250lb (113kg) he has the speed of Folau, the strength of Inglis and the touch of Federer.

Despite this, the only thing the sporting world focuses on, wrongly or rightly, are his titles. It's not his skill or talent, but the titles that many of us use to determine if he is the greatest of all time. In the same way Mark Webber is judged by his lack of world championships, not the fact he is one of only 3 Australian's to win a Grand Prix, let alone 9. It's Cadel Evans being criticised for a bad Tour after winning the year before. It's Sam Stosur 'crashing' out of the French Open in the third round. Deep down it's not that we are disappointed in the result, it's that we wanted to see them do so much more, so we could say we saw it.

How can we evaluate one against the other when we didn't see both?

If only we were to take a step back and enjoy what James, and all those like him, achieves every day. On the court we should marvel at Federer's technique and Nadal's precision, not wonder if their best days are behind them. This July we should be in awe of a Tour de France hero, the Australia II of our generation, instead of wondering why he isn't winning again. As Hawthorn and Geelong go about their winning ways we shouldn't compare them to the Lions, Hawks and Demons of old, but enjoy watching these teams at their peak, proving that there is something close to perfect football.

So tomorrow, when LeBron's Miami, take on my team from Indiana, do I side with the team I loosely follow, or do I side with the possibility of witnessing greatness? It is the same question we will all ask ourselves many times as a sports fan. And if you are anything like me, we all want to witness.