Is LeBron James actually Dominic Toretto from ‘The Fast and the Furious’?
LeBron James finds himself embarking on his eighth trip to the NBA Finals right as The Fate of the Furious — The Fast and the Furious’ eighth installment — finishes its rounds in theaters.
For the uninitiated, the Fast and Furious franchise is a cinematic institution, built on the pillars of street racing, sting operations and most importantly, familia. Some people will blasphemize the movies, asking what makes them so great? I dunno, why is the Mona Lisa great? Or the Grand Canyon? Some things go beyond verbal explanation. Just know they are tremendous.
What most people don’t realize is the movie crew also lays out a perfect blueprint for building an ideal basketball team. In order to assemble a championship-caliber squad, you need the right balance of talent, skills and everyone assuming clearly-defined roles — the most vital being the leader. The Cavaliers have more or less followed the diagram over the years, hitting their crescendo in 2016’s title run.
Read More: Which movie trilogy is Cavaliers vs. Warriors?
The maiden film of the series dropped in 2001, right about the time James entered the public consciousness and when Vin Diesel was hitting his stride in Hollywood. Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, and much like James is the sun in the Cleveland sky, Dom is the gravitational figure in which all the other characters revolve. When we first meet Dom, he is the front man to a ragtag bunch of misfits, engaging in street races and boosting truckloads of electronics. It’s similar to James’ first stint with the Cavaliers when he was dragging mediocre rosters to the NBA Finals.
And we all know what happens next: Diesel didn’t appear in the sequel due to disliking the script and James took his talents to South Beach for basically the same reason. Diesel was lured back by being given involvement in the pre-production process and made a cameo at the end of the third film, the unjustly underrated Tokyo Drift. James’ equally exciting return to Ohio came with the unofficial perk of playing shadow GM.
Even the unit’s (somewhat inexplicable) transitional arc from street racing larcenists to experts in covert operations perfectly mirrors Cleveland’s transformation from overmatched underdogs to world beaters and champs.
Toretto and James both provide the ethos and leadership to their respective groups. They inspire love and admiration, but also fear. Telling a teammate to fit in instead of fitting out is absolutely something Dom would gutturally bemoan to one of his companions. While not always tactful, they both know for teams to be successful — whether in basketball or international espionage involving fast cars — everyone needs to be on the same page.
They also know how to craft the right mix of people around them. Each required a right-hand man to help shoulder the load. Someone you can throw the ball to when the game is on the line, with all the confidence that they’ll drain the shot. Or a guy that will step in and save your life after pulling a bank vault on a high-speed chase through Rio.
They recognize the value of star power. It’s no coincidence the best movie of the franchise is Fast Five, the film that incorporated The Rock into the series. It’s also no coincidence that the Cavaliers ascended to the upper echelon of the NBA once they acquired a third star in Kevin Love. It remains unconfirmed if James marathoned through the Fast and Furious catalog before green-lighting the Love trade.
Additionally, Toretto and James understand the worth of having a strong support system. The role players that hack the mainframes, build the gadgets and get a couple of cool lines here and there? They’re always ready when you kick it out to them for a corner 3. Everyone needs someone who soldiers on for you, even if they struggle with amnesia or forget which hand is their dominant one. And J.R. Smith might as well have been cast as Roman Pearce. They’re the clown princes of their crews, providing jovial hijinks and irrational confidence. Pearce is definitely the Fast and Furious member most likely to slide into DMs or jubilantly go around shirtless in celebration of winning the NBA Finals.
Next: History says the Finals could be another classic or a disaster
For James to topple the Warriors again, he’ll have to enforce his will and play his game a quarter mile at a time. Of course, his masterfully constructed team would need to execute their roles perfectly to come through against all odds. Hey, it always works in the movies…