Why LeBron James Shouldn't Mind Being Dunked On

There is a certain magic in the self-deprecation of superstars. Peyton Manning is a superb pitchman not because of an overly-handsome appearance or even because of his talent as a quarterback.

It’s because he doesn’t mind making fun of himself in front of millions of people.

We used to think the same thing about LeBron James, as evidenced by his superb “The LeBrons” campaign, and his solid performance on Saturday Night Live. So despite the fact that Washingtonians en masse hope that all of the bad things in life happen to LeBron and LeBron only, I’m actually rooting for LBJ to come to his sense, and turn an embarrassing five seconds of dunk footage into another gem of a marketing campaign.

LeBron James shouldn’t mind being dunked on, because it’s just another way for him to put money in the bank.

Picture it. Puppet LeBron is seated in his living room and in walks Puppet Kobe.

Puppet Kobe: “How’d you spend your summer, LeBron? I know you have lots of home videos from your vacation.”

Puppet LeBron frowns up his face, and goes about lifting weights or something.

Or, Nike shows the actual video footage, and at the end of the dunk, we see the tape rewound and played over and over again. The camera pans away to Puppet LeBron with a remote in a dark room, controlling the footage.

In walks Lil’ Dez.

Lil’ Dez: “Don’t you think this would’ve been a lot easier on youtube? LeBron? LeBron? LeBRON!!”

Those are just a few ideas, but the marketing gurus at Nike specialize in turning moments of tragedy or embarrassment into moments of light humor and triumph. Should LeBron James and Nike remain silent on the issue, it would spawn fan furor and reaction throughout the season.

You can just hear the chants of “You Got Dunked On! Clap-Clap-ClapClapClap” in every arena the Cavaliers visit this year. YouTube reenactments, all kinds of T-Shirts and signage. Remaining silent is not in James’ or the Nike brand’s best interest.

But should they make a joke out of it, the story turns in his favor. It goes from him being a preening, self-absorbed clown to a self-deprecating, down-to-Earth guy.

He sells more shoes. He earns more fans. And his face gets out in front of a moment that, added to the debacle of not shaking hands with opponents earlier in the summer, could further tarnish his pristine rep among casual NBA fans.

LeBron James, in his great care for managing reputation and image, knows well that nothing good can come out of this. The best way to treat it going forward is to play it exactly how it is; as a big joke. It’s happened to some of the best in the world, but he can be the first in the world to actually make big money off of it.

All it takes is a puppet, a video tape, and some humility.