The LeBron James Thread

[Dice]

Quote: Originally Posted by ProfessaPackMan

Does anyone else think there is some sort of misplaced expectation on Lebron or has a problem with other players not receiving the same amount of criticism that Lebron gets or think it's fair that he even receives it?

I don’t think so. When you enter the ‘Elite players’ club, you garner greater expectations. And one of those expectations is championships. I understand that basketball is a team sport BUT when it comes down to your chances of winning that championship and you don’t produce then you get the criticism. Now James has been an elite player for quite sometime now. He’s also been on teams that were championship caliber OR had chances of competing for a championship. Say what you want about those Cavs teams he was on BUT he went to the Finals with one of them and posted back-to-back 60+ win totals before he left. So with his time of elite player status and his missed opportunities of realistically winning a championship, he deserves every criticism he gets. And it’s not like he’s alone. Other players throughout the history of this game as garnered lots of that type of criticism under those same conditions. Before they won championships, guys like Jordan, Shaq and KG are a few names that went through the same cycle.

And to add, The Decision did not help alleviate his image at all. Matter of fact, it worsened it.

[Jasong7777]

Quote:

"Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven..." was what LeBron said during his pep rally, counting the championships he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would deliver to Miami. "When I say that, I really believe it." He made those predictions before the Heat had ever played a game together, before a practice had been held and before a game had been won or lost. It was unprecedented in its arrogance, and it's something LeBron can't take back.

I guess people just holding him to that.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by The 24th Letter

I think holding LeBron to a championship or bust standard is completely fair....he's been in the league too long to settle for anything less.... The only thing unfair about his "criticism" is when everything is made into a spectacle: every quote, tweet, ASG performance, action. It's incredibly annoying.... IMO the excuse that he "brought that on himself" hit its expiration date a long time ago. Im sorry, that doesn't warrant a five minute segment on what his bike has written on it.

Just like anything, there are people that go overboard. But the clock doesn't even start ticking down on "he brought that on himself" until he stops bringing it on himself. People say "How long has it been since the Decision?" while ignoring that since then he's embraced being the villain before deciding that was too hard, mocked Dirk being sick while Dirk was torching his team, called out fans that criticized him by saying how much better his life is, told the media how he may want to come back to Cleveland (making Cav and Heat fans a little hot under the collar), etc, etc, etc. Just STFU. Would you forgive/forget a stab in the back if the person periodically came by to pour salt in the wound?

Not to mention, the parading around after building the super team made a lot of people hope he never wins a ring... and since he hasn't, every dumb decision he makes during crunch time will be highlighted. Karma may or may not exist, but all the crap he's done and said has made a lot of people smile at the thought of it being Karma keeping him down.

There is a life lesson here. Humility goes a long way. I've heard a lot of younger guys saying "What's the big deal with the decision?" or "Who cares what he said, he's balling." but that's very short sighted. He's the best player in the game right now but has given so many people reason to hate him that even though his positives far outweigh his negatives, the focus is only on the negatives. And yes, he brought that on himself and he's still not humbled... he still doesn't get it. He's young and still learning, which usually brings sympathy but he threw that chance out the window.

[1Rose]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

Just like anything, there are people that go overboard. But the clock doesn't even start ticking down on "he brought that on himself" until he stops bringing it on himself. People say "How long has it been since the Decision?" while ignoring that since then he's embraced being the villain before deciding that was too hard, mocked Dirk being sick while Dirk was torching his team, called out fans that criticized him by saying how much better his life is, told the media how he may want to come back to Cleveland (making Cav and Heat fans a little hot under the collar), etc, etc, etc. Just STFU. Would you forgive/forget a stab in the back if the person periodically came by to pour salt in the wound? Not to mention, the parading around after building the super team made a lot of people hope he never wins a ring... and since he hasn't, every dumb decision he makes during crunch time will be highlighted. Karma may or may not exist, but all the crap he's done and said has made a lot of people smile at the thought of it being Karma keeping him down. There is a life lesson here. Humility goes a long way. I've heard a lot of younger guys saying "What's the big deal with the decision?" or "Who cares what he said, he's balling." but that's very short sighted. He's the best player in the game right now but has given so many people reason to hate him that even though his positives far outweigh his negatives, the focus is only on the negatives. And yes, he brought that on himself and he's still not humbled... he still doesn't get it. He's young and still learning, which usually brings sympathy but he threw that chance out the window.

This post should end the thread.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[The 24th Letter]

Wwhart, besides the CLE comments, everything you rattled off happened a year ago, I'm just.....over it.......every other LBJ story I read this year has just seemed incredibly forced. Making a big deal out of nothing.

I don't blame you or anyone else for hanging on to that tick sheet of transgressions as fuel to hate the guy, but it's just past ridiculous for me at this point....

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by The 24th Letter

Wwhart, besides the CLE comments, everything you rattled off happened a year ago, I'm just.....over it.......every other LBJ story I read this year has just seemed incredibly forced. Making a big deal out of nothing. I don't blame you or anyone else for hanging on to that tick sheet of transgressions as fuel to hate the guy, but it's just past ridiculous for me at this point....

Don't blame me at all, lol. I don't care about James either way... I'm watching it all from the outside. But the NBA finals weren't a year ago, even though they were last season. Even in being last season, his words after the finals gave people plenty of reason to hope he fails this year, so that won't go away until this year's championship.

James has done a better job of keeping his mouth shut this year, but in the same sense what criticism are you hearing about him? He's been quiet and/so so have the fans. The only "story" about him has been the pass at the end of the ASG which will immediately make any LBJ critic remember his disappearing act in the games of last year's finals so that should be understandable (not saying you'd agree but you can understand how critics would cling to that). Am I forgetting something?

[The 24th Letter]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

Don't blame me at all, lol. I don't care about James either way... I'm watching it all from the outside. But the NBA finals weren't a year ago, even though they were last season. Even in being last season, his words after the finals gave people plenty of reason to hope he fails this year, so that won't go away until this year's championship. James has done a better job of keeping his mouth shut this year, but in the same sense what criticism are you hearing about him? He's been quiet and/so so have the fans. The only "story" about him has been the pass at the end of the ASG which will immediately make any LBJ critic remember his disappearing act in the games of last year's finals so that should be understandable (not saying you'd agree but you can understand how critics would cling to that). Am I forgetting something?

This year? The tweet that everyone forgot to be upset about until a week later, the ASG pass, arguing with a fan in the stands, "copying" Wades Cam celebration.....I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something....

Prediction: I'm sure someone will take issue with him and Wades new warmup ritual lol

[Dice]

Quote: Originally Posted by The 24th Letter

This year? The tweet that everyone forgot to be upset about until a week later, the ASG pass, arguing with a fan in the stands, "copying" Wades Cam celebration.....I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something.... Prediction: I'm sure someone will take issue with him and Wades new warmup ritual lol

Was that the one in Detroit? Now, I'd be very careful to tread lightly on that one considering Detroit was the site of the 'Big Brawl'. You figure he(or anybody else) learn from that incident and just let the fans be.