We all know that Lebron is a great player, a talent that only exists every other decade. A player, that will go down as a Top 10 player in NBA history, besides his finals record (I never understood how reaching the finals (even though if you’re not winning them) could be seen as a bad thing, a shame, or a blot. You beat 28 other teams, come on).
Don’t get me wrong. I am a fan of LeBron most of the time. I admire his skills, his strenghts and his abilty to always be a step ahead of the defender. This article will not be about the ability of Lebron to lead a team Gongfu Tea Cup success, nor about his strengths on the court. This is about, I apologize for the profanity, ‘LeBron being a bitch‘.
Let’s start with the latest example:
Last night’s game against the Hawks. Mid 3rd quarter, leading by 26! points, LeBron posts up and demands the ball from Dante Cunningham, who makes a bad pass and turns the ball over. Again, they’re up 26 and played an excellent game up to this point. James, instead of encouraging his teammate and running back on defense, he subs himself out, without the ref’s permission. Leaves the court and sits down on the bench. Cavs had to foul intentionally and got the tech. As a teammate, you’ve gotta think something like: ‘Wow what was that all about?? Just for a bad pass??’
This is not how a leader should act. He has way too much pride and is too emotional on the court. It was not a miscommunication in my opinion. I like LeBron, but this was a poor decision, an affective one.
See for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XfGxamHDhs
GET LEBRON’S JERSEY! IT’S ON SALE!
Example numero dos:
Last year’s game in Brooklyn and an altercation with a courtside fan. Brooklyn has a 79 year old fan known as “Mr. Whammy”, who sits courtside and is a season ticket owner for 20 years. He likes to heckle players when they shoot free throws, and says:
‘You gotta miss, whatever your name is.’
something he is well known for in Brookyln. Most of the players ignore him, but James has had a problem with his presence and requested that security got rid of him.
Mr. Whammy normally sits behind the baseline and waves his hands at players while they shoot free throws, something you’ll see in every NBA arena. This time though, he was told by NBA security to move, then by Barclays Arena security, and then finally by Nets CEO Brett Yormark himself.
Yormark told him:
‘Do me a favor, please move back so that NBA security doesn’t throw you out’
Mr. Whammy said at halftime:
‘LeBron is a crybaby. I know it was him that asked the security to make me move. He doesn’t like that I make him miss. He thinks he’s more powerful than anyone in the NBA.’
Officials from the NBA did confirm after the game that the Cavaliers requested for Mr. Whammy to be moved from his seat.
Example Nummer drei:
Granted, James by far isn’t the only player who complains about foul calls and other ref decisions, but he is one of the players who argues the most. In some, mostly important, games, it seems that he is arguing each and every foul call against him. Most of you know this, so I don’t want to bring up every game he once complained (you can do that with every player), but give you one example:
In Game 4 of the 2012’s Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo was asked by Doris Burke at halftime what holes the Boston Celtics were exploiting in the Miami’s defense, to which he replied:
‘Them complaining and crying to the referees in transition.’
Later that game, LeBron fouled out. In an Interview after the game, he said:
‘I don’t foul out. If I’m going to foul out, that sixth foul, I wish I would have earned it and it had actually been a foul on me. Whatever. It’s very tough, I thought a few of my fouls were, I don’t know. I don’t know. I got a foul coming off a pen-down where I got cut off. They called an offensive foul on Pietrus. I got a double foul in the paint and then I got another foul posting up in transition. Yep. It’s very difficult because I know how to play the game of basketball and I don’t need an advantage of holding somebody or pushing somebody down, but whatever, we lost.’
LeBron showed his dark side with these postgame remarks. Instead of making the smart, veteran play here, James spouted off. Again, that is not how a leader should react!
Example numéro quatre:
LeBron’s treatment of players he does not like personally.
LeBron vs Kevin Love
The two Cleveland Cavaliers superstars were at the center of numerous reports last season. James made it clear, on the court, that Love was not a good option for him to pass to, or set up a play for.
(via ESPN) According to the Akron Beacon Journal, there was indeed some fire behind the smoke.
Jason Lloyd—citing conversations with Love, James, and others in the Cavaliers organization—reports that James and Love had trouble getting along at the start of last year, partly because Love came into the season out of shape:
Yet from almost the moment Love arrived, the relationship seemed to sour. James went to great lengths to get him here, and now team officials concede James didn’t treat him very well once he arrived.
In truth, James was frustrated in part because Love showed up out of shape. He didn’t work out much at all the summer he was traded here and he wasn’t the player James was expecting. His legs bothered him all season. His back was hurting. All of the parts were connected and none of them were firing properly.
James loves talent and he loves playing alongside elite players. Love’s physical condition prevented him from being the player James thought he was getting. As a result, James gravitated toward Kyrie Irving and Love never fit well into this system.
It is not for us to decide why, and what went wrong during their first year as teammates. Also we thought that it was all solved now. Love is an option for James. James even stated, that Love needs to be the man on the floor and that he needs to get more touches.
But as we’ve showed you before, during the Cavs-Knicks game the other week, Kevin Love fell down, and LeBron did not help him up, but stepped ‘over’ him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1f8F_LLrDU
Friends or not, this is not how you treat someone on your team!
