Is anyone having more fun these days than LeBron James? As he demolishes his opposition nightly, the N.B.A.'s resident megastar has bearhugged a fan who drained a halfcourt shot, elevated the pregame dunk line into an art form and joined his Miami Heat teammates in putting together their own version of a Harlem Shake video. (James is the shirtless one wearing the crown.)

There is a joie de vivre to James’s dominance this season, which stands in stark contrast to the scowl he wore the last few years when he was the world’s favorite N.B.A. player to hate.

Now, he laughs. He smiles. He dances. He wins.

All this sunniness can feel a bit disorienting. We’re more familiar with tortured souls who would sacrifice limbs or loved ones if they thought it would help them win.

Michael Jordan breathed fire on the court. Roger Clemens threw baseballs and the occasional broken bat at hitters. Ty Cobb slid spikes first. John McEnroe, Lance Armstrong, the 1974 Philadelphia Flyers — pick your favorite victorious villain.