Bearing False Witness: The King

In the history of the world there have been many kings.

King Tut, King Kong, Martin Luther King Jr., Burger King, and Stephen King among many others.

Some young, some old, some powerful, and some not so powerful.

"The King" of the NBA, LeBron James, is still trying to find his position in the Kingdom. And after Game Six against the Orlando Magic, he finds himself somewhere behind Don King.

There's no denying LeBron James is a great player.

Nor can we deny the fact that he has had a stellar career, amazing year, and outstanding playoff performance. He has put up numbers that few, regardless of age, ever have.

LeBron is elite.

He is all around.

He scores, dishes, rebounds, defends, and hits the big shots.

And he does it all exceptionally well.

He is a freak of nature physically and his basketball IQ is Einstein-like.

But after Game Six, "The King" is anything but that.

More like a peasant or serf.

No one likes to lose, especially not someone like LeBron James. The insatiable desire to win is one of the trademarks of all the greats in any sport. It is a necessary component to the psyche of a great player.

Check that one off for James.

But what LeBron lacks is maturity and responsibility, which was what his post Game Six actions proved.

It is understandable to walk off the court after a loss such as the one the Cavaliers suffered.

Best record in the NBA, tearing through the playoffs, and favored to win the East and go to the Finals...

It's a real letdown, especially to the star player, when expectations aren't met.

So, we feel you on that one Bron. I understand that during the heat of the moment the last thing you wanted to do was congratulate the Magic who just sent you home packing for the summer.

Understandable, we've all done it before on some level or another.

But what followed after is inexcusable and immature.

Avoiding the press conference?

C'mon.

Since when can the King not address his people?

A real cowardly move there LeBron. Cowardly and selfish. Shame on you King.

The young king needs to learn his lessons just like the best of them did. Just because you are a king, self proclaimed or not, doesn't mean you are the exception to the rules.

Did he have to address the media?

No.

Should he have sucked it up, dried his tears, and swallowed his pride for seven minutes?

Yes.

You're still a kid, King. Grow up.

What you should have done was taken a loss—a season ending one at that—with as much pride and grace as you do all of your victories.

Shake hands even if you don't want to. Wish the best of luck even if you don't mean it. But don't pout.

Be a MAN.

And it's not even about the respect that should be given to the team that beat you convincingly. It's about giving respect to your teammates and not leaving them out to dry. Not leaving goons like Anderson Varejao to explain why you guys were overpowered by Orlando.

You jumped ship right as it was sinking and let your teammates, coaches, and organization sink while you swam to shore.

You're not the king of the basketball, the NBA, or the Cleveland Cavaliers.

You're the King of yourself, LeBron.

Do a little bit of soul searching.

Come down off that high throne.

Most of all, know when you have been defeated and accept it graciously. That is the mark of a true champion.