I’ve been in awe of Lebron James since I first saw him play in high school. The game was on national television, and against Carmelo Anthony’s Oak Hill team. I was in awe when I saw him pull off his double-clutch slam in the McDonald's All-American dunk contest.
It was not only Lebron’s freakish athletic abilities that made him so appealing. In his senior year, he was driving around in a Hummer, with money borrowed in anticipation of his enormous future earnings. His $90 million shoe contract paid off that loan pretty quickly. Before his first NBA game, Lebron was already a rockstar.
In his first five seasons, Lebron has been nothing short of spectacular. Skip Bayless may lambaste his shot selection, but no one can reasonably question his greatness.
Before this series with the Wizards, I was a Witness. I accepted Lebron as the basketball Messiah Nike had envisioned. He seemed to be a consummate competitor, and an upstanding citizen. He was never in any bar fights started by his brother, and he didn’t have any DUI’s. But after this series, Lebron seems less like the Savior, and more like just another whiney, arrogant superstar.
DeShawn Stevenson / Jay Z
After DeShawn Stevenson called him overrated, James should have just kept quiet, and let the comment motivate him, a la the New England Patriots. Instead, Lebron came out and compared himself to Jay Z, and Stevenson to Soulija Boy.
First of all, I don’t think Lebron has reached Jay-Z status yet. He hasn’t won a championship, and he’s been in the league five years. Jay Z is arguably the greatest rapper ever. Secondly, great players, and supposed saviors, shouldn’t tell people how good they are. Their actions are supposed to speak for themselves. Lebron’s buddy Jay Z then felt that the great Lebron needed help in his media spat with Stevenson. So at Lebron’s party, the DJ played Jay Z’s recently recorded Deshawn Stevenson diss track. It’s cool when Jay Z records a Nas diss track. But Deshawn Stevenson? Overkill on Lebron and Jay Z’s parts.
Delonte West Quote
After Game Four, Lebron was asked about Delonte West’s game-winning shot. Instead of praising Delonte for the shot, which he could have pulled up to take, Lebron just said that it gave West confidence, and gave him confidence in West. Lebron made it sound like he’s playing with a bunch of fourth graders. Even though he knows he is far better than any of his teammates, he does not need to belittle them in front of the media.
Whining about Fouls
Yes, DeShawn Stevenson should have been ejected for his flagrant foul. But basketball is a physical game, and Lebron is supposed to be the greatest physical specimen to ever play the game. If he decides to drive his 260-pound body to the rim, he should expect to get bumped around.
I don’t remember Jordan complaining when the Pistons, and every other team, manhandled him far worse than anything Lebron has had to deal with. The league gave right in to Lebron by suspending Darius Songaila. Songalia’s arm had gotten locked up with Lebron’s, and when both of them pulled away, Lebron barely got hit in the face. Lebron played it off like he got punched. This isn’t soccer. Superstars should not complain about getting fouled, and give Oscar performances when they’re touched.
My view of Lebron’s play hasn’t decreased, but my respect for him certainly has.
comments (15) write a comment »
write a new comment
5 months ago
Please quote me one instance of Lebron complaining. Exactly what did he say and when did he say it? I have been following this closely and it seems to me that he has shown remarkable restriant given the pounding he has taken. He has been quoted as saying only TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE ROUGH play, "if they are trying to hurt (me), it isnt working" That does not even remotely qualify as complaining .
My respect for him has gone up even futher precisely because of the way he comported himself. BTW, Jordan, Phil Jackson etc. complained bitterly about the way the Pistons hammered MJ and tried the same thing.
If anybody should "lose your respect" here, it should be Eddie Jordan and the rest of the Wizards for their thug play, then blaming the victim as Heywood did.
5 months ago
The Wizards were not 'thuggish' at all, just hard and a little dirty, which is how a lot of NBA teams win games. Lebron did NOT get punched intentionaly by any stretch of the imagination.
I don't like that Lebron constantly throws his teammates under the bus (not to say it isn't true, but it isn't good teammanship) and I think it's quite a bit early to start comparing himself as the Jay-Z of basketball.
However, Lebron's a kid who has lived differently than ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS EVER LIVED, so let's give him a bit of a break. Every single good NBA player is wildly arrogant. You have to be to suceed on any level. Lebron just needs to tone it down a bit (totally agree about the lameness of the West quote).
5 months ago
Ron --
I agree with you 100%. Lebron held himself very professionally in this series. It was the Washington players who made themselves look like idiots. DeShawn Stevenson has to be the dumbest player in the entire NBA for getting LeBron angry. And, by the way, if you're going to complain, Will, then complain about the players that started the conflict -- Stevenson and Haywood. And LeBron's comment about Jay-Z and Soulja Boy is true -- LeBron has more talent in his pinky finger than Stevenson has in his whole body. What a complete loser Stevenson is -- gesturing to the home crowd at Quicken Loans Arena after he made a 3 in a game where the Wizards were down by 30. Absolutely laughable. I'm glad these losers were sent packing...once again.
About Delonte West -- People fail to realize that Lebron is the captain of the team. The players on the Cavs do need to earn his confidence and respect (especially after having the terrible shooting Larry Hughes on the team for so long). In that interview with Lebron, you also fail to realize that he redirected all the credit that the reporter was giving him to Delonte. He said it was all about Delonte and his confidence. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that statement. I admire a player who takes charge and steps up as a true leader. LeBron is not only a special talent on the court, but he is also an incredible individual who handles himself excellently. This guy deserves all the respect in the world.
from 5 months ago
Didn't you even feel somewhat awkward with his response? I mean, as a captain of the team on national TV who wants to build up his team and get them mentally in the game -- I would've thought he would've said something like, "Delonte was our man tonight! He provided us with the perimeter shooting that made the difference in this game. He was critical to keeping the Wizards off balanced..." Or, something to that effect? Why does he have to make it sound like it didn't matter whether Delonte West scored 3, 13, 23, or 33 -- the result would've been the same?? Him coming out and playing as well as he did was all for Delonte's benefit (not the Cavaliers)?? Er, someone check the score??? I don't think so....
5 months ago
Dude your article sucks along with u...what were u thinking...Wizards lost accept it...Lebron has earned his respect more than ever...you shud write an article one like this for wizards, their fans and 'F'ing stevenson....LOL!! you are just tryin to get attention...LOL!!!poor analysis...hahahhaa....LOL!!!
5 months ago
I agree with sam. Dummy. Boohoo.
Lebron could have said the most motivational, exciting, articulate...statement and lost. Whats more important his words or what happened.
I apologize for calling you a dummy..but I do think you are a little stupid.
- Ken
5 months ago
Where are you coming from with this article? It's nit-picky, short-sighted, and has you at the helm of "monday quarterback". Respect? Come on now. The man was getting whacked and the man stepped up, he won the series. He retaliated by letting his game speak for him. Case in point his amazing triple double in game 6. So come on, get off Lebron's tip, bro. And do as your wife tells you and take the trash out and go powerwash the driveway.
5 months ago
Will,
I think that you should go back to your high school reports and leave the sports writing for people who actually were around to watch the Michael Jordan / Pistons series. Lebron has handled the cheap shots with class. (anyone who watched the series saw that Lebron took more cheap shots than anyone else, and had less to say about.)
5 months ago
Michael Jordan absolutely did complain about opposing teams trying to "hurt" him, including the Pistons:
"Jordan: Pistons Tried To Hurt Me Chicago's Michael Jordan, the National Basketball Association's leading scorer, claims the Detroit Pistons deliberately tried to hurt him. Jordan made his strong comments after the Bulls' 115-99 fight-marred victory over the Pistons on Saturday night."
-January 18, 1988; http://tinyurl.com/655s3y
5 months ago
You are wrong about Jordan. He said the Pistons were trying to hurt him after a regular season game back in 1988. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB3267B7363861B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
Nothing like good credible writing in the blogosphere.
5 months ago
Jay-Z is far from the greatest rapper ever. He is quite mediocre. I actually stopped reading your article after you said that, you obviously are a very silly person.
5 months ago
Dude, you are the most ignorant person I know.
Here's 10 things wrong with what you said:
1. LeBron never whined or complained about the physical play, and, in fact, it propelled the Cavs to win the series, because the Cavs are far more of a physical team than Washington.
2. LeBron has been in the league 5 years and hasn't won a title yet. Oh my god! Already a 5 year veteran?! And no rings? What a travesty!
You're an idiot. Jordan didn't win his first until his 7th season. And LeBron led a team of crap to the Finals in his fourth season, so give the credit where its due.
3. LeBron is one of the most humble athletes in the NBA. When asked about the MVP race and who is the better player, he ALWAYS lobbies for Kobe as the premier player in the league. With the Jay-Z thing, he was just comparing himself to the unnecessarily cocky Stevenson. It was more of an insult to Deshawn than a promotion of himself.
4. There is nothing wrong with the Delonte West quote. He was saying how making that shot will boost West's confidence, as Delonte had struggled from 3 for much of the season. As evidenced in Game 6, the Cavs need contributions from other guards to win games, and West making that shot will go a long way to adding scoring from the outside. It wasn't belittling West at all.
5. You don't think LeBron expects to get fouled when he goes to the hole? He led the league in 3 point plays the last two seasons. He knew Washington would try to foul him, but that didn't stop him from driving to the hoop.
6. Why is everyone comparing how hard Jordan and James have been getting hit in the playoffs? You're gonna rip LeBron just because the Bad Boys punished people harder than these wannabe Wizards? LeBron doesn't control how hard he gets hit- and he does get hit hard. But he has not once complained or whined about it, so stop penalizing him for it. It's not like he stopped driving to the rim.
7. I agree Songaila should not have been suspended- but ONLY because Stevenson, Haywood, and Jason Kidd weren't suspended either. After the Suns-Spurs series last year, we all thought the NBA would crackdown this playoffs. But after no suspensions on those harder fouls, it was shocking to see Songaila suspended. But LeBron didn't do an acting job or anything. You absolutely CANNOT give Songaila's cheap shot a free pass. He should have been ejected, and in most years, suspended. Had the other guys been suspended for their dirty fouls, then this suspension wouldn't be a problem to anyone.
8. And by the way, its DARIUS SONGAILA! Is it Butler? Is it Haywood? Is it Jamison? Is it Stevenson? Is it Mason? NO. It's Songaila. You didn't even know who he was until you saw him jab LeBron in the face. I don't think his 8 minutes and 4 points would have overcome the Cavs 17 point whooping.
9. I'm glad that you lost your respect for LeBron. You're probably just like those Wiz fans who sported the "Crybaby 23" shirts. The same fans who went home after the game and cried themselves to sleep because LeBron knocked them out on their home floor 3 straight years.
10. When it comes to sports analysis, and sports writing, I'm like Tupac, and you're like Flava Flav.
5 months ago
Guys, at this rate -- we're gonna promote Will to contributor status. ;)
I have to laugh when people claim LeBron is humble. Maybe you should read his tattoos while you are reading his quotes....
"(With) me being one of the best drivers, creators and and-one playmakers in the game, I was definitely trying to get the and-one, and my follow-through got him on the chin," James said. "I know he felt it. But it wasn't anything intentional."
http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19502377&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21848&rfi=6
Yeah thats got humbleness written all over it.
5 months ago
All great talents in sports and other trades lack a little bit of humbleness. It's what gets them to the pinnacle of their profession.
It's those who are short on talent, Stevenson and Brenda Haywood, that attempt to come off as bigger than they are who we shouldn't respect.
5 months ago
LeBron is anything but humble. About time someone realizes that LeBron is as immature and cocky as every other player in this league. All this talk he's mature for his age is total crap. Everytime he talks about anything in a game he talks about himself. Leaders embrace the team as a whole. If he talks about a game, it should be about how the team won, not how he led the team to victory.
And comparing him to any great player is just off the wall. Once I see him play on a team where the offense ISN'T revolved around him and average the same numbers, then I might be impressed. Many teams already have a big three, for example, the Celtics (KG, Pierce, and Allen), Wizards (Arenas, Butler, Jamison), and Spurs (Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli). Now put Lebron on a team that only has two superstars, for example, the Lakers (Bryant and Gasol) Rockets (TMac and Yao), and Jazz (D. Williams and Boozer). Would he be able to create another big 3, or just be another decent starter (in decent starter I mean someone like Mo Williams or Lamar Odom, who average good numbers, but aren't known for being stars).
write a new comment