The origins of my dissent towards LeBron James can be traced back to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals from 2009, just under a year ago. I know this is old news, but bear with me as I’ve been waiting for so long to thumb my two cents to more than just a few friends.
For someone who so explicitly boasted to the media about how every member of the “Redeem Team” cared for each other and respected one another as “brothers,” to not even give Dwight Howard so much as a look in the eye following his defeat is something that I personally cannot overlook or forget. As my good friend texted me last night, “LeBron is a fraud.”
It’s one thing to blatantly disrespect another superstar as did James, but to stand up to the media days later, on his own time after failing to appear at the post-game presser, and say, “I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”
I’m sorry, what? Come again.
There’s a few things that were alarmingly illogical in those comments by James. Firstly, he is not a “winner” as I reiterate again, he has yet to win an NBA championship. Secondly, he was and still is a poor sport given his failure to shake any Magic player’s hand and his tantrum no-show in Game 5 of the Boston series. Lastly, it doesn’t matter what makes sense to you LeBron, congratulating your opponent whether you win or lose is an absolute fundamental standard of being a professional athlete – keyword being, “professional.”
In the land of King James however, it appears just fine if he answers his critics with brash arrogance while steering clear of self-deprecation.
What really disturbed me about the unsportsmanlike act of LeBron is the lack of elaborate coverage it received. For whatever reason, the majority of the gutless mass media did not dare denigrate the almighty King James, perhaps to make sure they could score that signature interview down the road or be invited to his gaudy $30 million mansion to see if his McDonald’s tastes any different from the one down the block. That’s basically when I realized that LeBron had successfully weaved his web around ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and what have you.
I’d like to extend my gracious appreciation to the small minority of journalists, analysts and yes, even you Skip Bayless, for condemning James’ inexplicable act of purporting himself as some sort of deity who precedes sportsmanship and class. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not find such an attitude to be congruent with serving as the face of an entire league.
As much as it pains me, and believe me it does, I must dig up the Lakers’ 39-point blowout loss to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, just two seasons ago might I add. However I’m not talking about the game.
What I want you to remember is how Kobe Bryant, with fresh tears streaming down his cheeks, congratulated each player and coach as they euphorically celebrated in front of his face – shaking each member’s hand.
The Mamba restrained his tears as valiantly as he had battled the Celtics through six forgettable games even in the post-game press conference.
Kobe is the epitome of what the term “professional athlete” is intended to represent. He encompasses each and every facet of being a consummate pro whether it’s possessing an unrivaled work ethic, competing to the bitter end in search of victory, isolating his focus on the court to the task at hand or simply being clutch as hell. Excuse my language.
While LeBron seems to have learned his lesson from a year ago as he congratulated his opponent last night, it’s a shame that he checked out on the city of Cleveland and all Cavaliers fans well before the series was even close to being over. James just does not know how to accept when things don’t go his way because we’re all living in his world, not vice versa.
Again, phony.
NEXT: Kobe vs. LeBron – Obsession
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