Why Does LeBron Get Heat for Ring Chasing and Nash Get Heat for Not Doing Same?

Lately, there are some who are pushing Steve Nash to request a trade in spite of the fact that he simply doesn't want one. In fact his not requesting a trade has drawn criticism. 

When asked why he didn't want a trade where he could have another shot at a ring before he retires, Nash responded:

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"What does that mean?" Nash asks back. "Do I go in and say, 'Trade me to a top two or three team?' I think it's lot more difficult than people think."

"One, it's not my style. Maybe I'm old school, but I feel like that's not my place to give up on my team, give up on my teammates. I signed a contract and made a commitment."

"And two, I don't feel it's like choosing a restaurant. It's got to be a situation that works for two teams. And I don't know how simple that is. But before we even get to that part of it, I just feel that I owe it to my teammates to stay committed to them. I feel that I owe it to the fans and the organization to fight."

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And herein lies the hypocrisy of the NBA fan, who judge the values of NBA players based on how much they help their team's chances of winning. 

Nash is wrong to not ask for a trade to Team X because by not doing so means that he isn't helping Team X win. 

With Nash, you're not talking about the kind of man that conforms to the convention. He marches to the beat of his own drummer. I mean, we're talking about a man who chose to wear No. 13 on his jersey. 

Why do we have to force our priorities onto him?

Meanwhile, just 14 or 15 months ago, the world was nearly torn asunder when LeBron James committed the unspeakable evil of signing elsewhere as a free agent where he joined other superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to "chase a ring." 

The logic of the NBA fan is about as consistent as an octogenarian with irritable bowl syndrome on a low fiber diet, which is to say, not very. 

Kobe Bryant did no wrong in demanding a trade before he ever donned an NBA uniform because he didn't want to pay for a loser, but LeBron James, after playing for seven years, is the the NBA's version of Beelzebub because he left Cleveland as a free agent?

If someone is doing what it takes to help my favorite team win, have at it. If he's not, he must be using the dark side of the force every time he makes a basket or decision. 

It was silly to criticize James for making his decision (and don't tell me it's just "how" he did it because if he had said he was taking his talents to wherever your team plays, you wouldn't be complaining). It's silly now to critique Nash for not doing so.

As fans we can cheer or we can boo. We can celebrate when our favorite team wins or our rivals lose. That's where we should draw the line.

We have no right to sit in moral judgement of how players chose to live their lives or choose their priorities so long as they are legal. That's all being a fan gives us the right to do.