As far as the actual game of basketball goes, I respect Lebron James's skills. However, there's always been something offputting about him. Sure he can ball and everything, but there's something undeniably tacky about the way he acts. His antics have always struck the wrong chord with me.
Adrian Wojnarowski recently wrote an article which really articulated what I don't like about 'Bron well:
He has surrounded himself with a collection of sycophants and incompetents, sneaker reps and childhood buddies and middlemen whom he calls his team. Somehow, they couldn’t let him stay quiet until the playoffs were over, until everyone had pushed past the way he disappeared in the conference semifinals. He did a vapid sit-down with [Larry] King to air on Friday night, and they made sure to leak out a transcript that drones out the start of the NBA Finals.
In many ways Lebron's post-playoff antics reflect exactly what's alienated me from the NBA: where's the loyalty? You expect a certain amount of mercurial behaviour in the league, but these days it's ridiculous. James hasn't even allowed the sour taste his playoff performance left in basketball fans' collective mouths to dissipate before trying to jump back out into the spotlight.
By allowing himself to be openly courted in the free-agent market "King" James is ensuring that he is the centre of attention. Even if he stayed - and it looks increasingly doubtful, especially if there is any validity to the outrageous rumour regarding Delonte West and James's mother - if I was a Clevelander (?) I wouldn't be able to help feeling just a bit betrayed.
Many people didn't like Michael Jordan's attitude when he was in the league but, while I can't blame them, at least with him it was all about basketball. With Lebron, however, I really don't know. Who knows where the fuck his head is at.
Full story here.
