LeBron's Waffling on Kevin Love Tweet Shows That He's a Leader Still in Training
CLEVELAND — Whether newscasters or athletes, those in the public eye in this age of social media have their words and movements tracked more than ever before.
For LeBron James, it's way down low in his job description to make sure he tells the whole truth to reporters. For someone who fashions himself a leader for the Cleveland Cavaliers and society at large, however, accountability does matter.
James has looked a little sketchy on that front in his first season back in Cleveland, same as he did at times in his first season in Miami in 2010-11. His reverse pivots with his mouth are not nearly as effective as they are on the court.
And amid the feel-good story of James coming home and trying to raise the spirits of an entire community, it's a reminder first that no one is perfect.
James is a very confident person, but he is not always comfortable in his own skin. He really wants to be loved and—even more dangerously—is used to being loved.
That is not the loftiest of life's pursuits. Peace comes from within, not from made-for-TV specials.
Beyond that, though, James' odd waffling on whether he wants to put Kevin Love on public alert about being a team player is a warning about the danger of being an autocrat, someone who carries all the power and knows it.
No one in Cleveland is in any position to question James—not Kyrie Irving, not David Blatt, not Dan Gilbert. The closest James has to rivals among his peers around the NBA won't judge him, either—Tim Duncan being above that sort of thing, Kobe Bryant too down in the dumps.
It would've been cool for James just to lead the way he wants, own his actions and admit he really needs Love to try to "fit in" rather than "fit out"—words James tweeted Saturday night in reference to Love's exact words in an October quote about joining the Cavaliers.
James instead offered an initial denial to reporters, smilingly relenting when asked about it, but then turned back around with another denial via Twitter.
The prospect of taking bullets—even if it's just his honest opinion about the number of teams in the NBA or this admirable goal of more harmonious team play on his Cavs—is not something James is comfortable with.
Don't smear the fashionable clothes. Don't let the global brand be marred by controversy.
With so many people to please in this spotlight for such a long time, James has gotten used to the middle of the road. He has done well keeping clean, and he rightly prides himself on both his professionalism and athleticism.
But the slippery politician is not a character anyone would enjoy seeing in the positive-message cast of "The LeBrons." So it's quite disappointing when the two-facedness slips out.
Back in December 2010, James told reporters how much better the NBA used to be with more stars on fewer teams (ironically mentioning the idea of having Love lifted out of Minnesota).
"That's why the league was great," James said then. "Just imagine if you can take Kevin Love off Minnesota and add him to another team. Just looking at some of the teams that are not that great. You take Brook Lopez or you take Devin Harris off these teams that are not that good right now, and add them to a team that could be really good.
"Not saying let's take New Jersey or let's take Minnesota out of the league. But hey, you guys are not stupid, I'm not stupid, I know what would be great for the league."
When the NBA players union balked at James' sentiment because it would eliminate many players' jobs—and it became apparent that his words might help the owners in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement—he backpedaled.
He focused on how he never used the actual word "contraction" and said he didn't even know what it meant, adding: "I didn't mean to upset nobody."
Soon after, in January 2011, James showed he still held strong emotions toward Gilbert's venomous open letter about James' departure from the Cavaliers, in which Gilbert had specifically placed "bad karma" on James.
When the LeBron-less Cavaliers were en route to a whopping 112-57 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers for Cleveland's 21st loss in 22 games on January 11 of that season, James took to Twitter:
"Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. It's not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
The exact word, thrown back in someone's face. Then, that word and others strangely taken back. Same as this Love incident.
Back then, James denied the tweet referred to his former Cleveland team—and offered an awkward, rambling explanation for it the next day:
"Just how I was feeling at the time," he said. "It wasn't even a comment from me. It was someone who sent it to me, and I sent it out. But like I said, it wasn't towards that team.
"It definitely wasn't a good showing by that team last night. I know they wish they would have played better, but nothing towards them."
That was not unlike what James initially said when asked Sunday about his "fit out" tweet. From the 1.2 million Twitter followers James had in 2011, he has skyrocketed to 18.7 million now, but not that much has changed.
"It wasn't even about this team," James said. "It was more about people in general. It was just a general thought that I had."
James' reply then went into vague generalities and mentioned how people read too much into what he says, same as in 2011.
Lashing out against your former club's owner isn't as dicey as criticizing your current teammate, of course. And it remains to be seen how this James-Love dynamic evolves.
So far, it has been reminiscent of Dwight Howard's forgettable season with a frustrated Bryant in Los Angeles. When Howard didn't properly direct his energy toward a title push, he failed to inspire much respect, putting the Lakers in the awkward position of still having to coddle him to further their hopes he would re-sign.
Bryant tried to be supportive but ultimately couldn't contain his disdain. Howard wound up leaving the Lakers with nothing via free agency after that one disappointing season.
Sure, James has to be careful not to push Love away, but James also has to be unwavering in pulling this inexperienced Cavaliers group together to have a shot at a championship.
And that's what James has always believed in: Team concept.
The game that righted the Cavaliers' season—a 126-121 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 16—was all about James unifying the team's effort as Love sat out with back spasms. Then Sunday, the day after his "fit out" tweet, James called plays for Love to score a season-high 32 points—and pointed at Love to credit him when his floor-spacing threat drew Lakers defenders, opening up Timofey Mozgov to take James' passes and hit open free-throw-line jumpers.
Will Love do that anonymous dirty work, or does he only want to "fit out" with 32-point games? You can bet he is asking himself that question now.
James definitely got his blade into Love…while destroying the evidence linking him to the crime.
Pretty smart?
Totally gutless?
When you're powerful to the point of feeling untouchable, they can be a lot alike.
Kevin Ding is an NBA senior writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.
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