okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
As I can attest after the lumpenproles on this board turned against me, LeBron would be advised not to speak about how awesome his life is. Proles don't like to be reminded of that stuff by their superiors.
LaBron - My life is better than yours.
- Thread starter CAARHawk
- Start date
I agree MJ would take a lot of crap from media, BUT MJ knew how to handle pre-game and post-game interviews. He was business savy, and I don't think LeBron has figured that out yet.
MultipleDundieAwardWinner
Banned
I agree, but Lebron used to be the same way. He clearly doesn't know how to react to the hostility directed towards him, and who knows how Jordan would react in a similar situation.
Again, I will use a Tiger Woods comparison. Like Michael, Tiger had the media in his back pocket, and was never, ever challenged on anything. However, once blood was in the water, and the media wasn't kissing his bean bag, Tiger didn't know how to react to it. I think Michael would have had similar problems facing a once friendly, then hostile media.
HawkeyeMike23
Banned
He would have had to face a lot harder questions about his personal life. If someone would have been able to take a cell phone pic of Jordan leaving a casino at 4 am the day before a playoff game and had the photo racing around the internet the next day, reporters would have grilled him over it. Back then that stuff just got swept under the rug.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I couldn't agree more. I think the way athletes are perceived now is the biggest difference or contributing factor in how players are viewed by the media. Jordan was viewed as a hero and a role model and the media took it upon themselves to protect that image. Now days, I think that as much as the media likes to hype a star up at the same time they know that they can get just as much out of it by creating a villian so they don't feel the need to protect that image. You can't tell me that nobody at ESPN could foresee "the decision" backfiring on the way Lebron was viewed by the public, but they didn't care because of the ratings. Now ESPN and the media have the attention of those that are fans of him, but more importantly have the masses of those that can't stand him, and the media is thriving off it.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I think if this were a comparison of MJ and Tiger, you would be spot-on. But LeBron's situation is different. The hostility stems from his inability to perform in crunch time. MJ had that aspect locked down.
If LeBron would just step up and be the player he very easily could be in the 4th quarter of a Finals game, he wouldn't have to put up with nearly as much crap. Jordan didn't have to worry about being picked on over poor performance in the playoffs, certainly not to this level. Because he performed very well, consistently.
Driving home for lunch today, I heard another national sportstalk show calling Lebron to task for this comment. Their take was even it is true, you don't say it. With a league that has several teams losing money, you don't want to give the fans a reason to decide not to spend their money on tickets to see a bunch of arrogant millionaires flaunt their wealth, while they insult others who don't have the same wealth.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I agree with to a point. However unless I took it the wrong way or missed something, Lebron wasn't necessarily making it about the money. I view it as nothing more than him essentially calling out all the highschool and rec league all stars that are giving him a hard time about his performance. My honest opinion, he choked on the biggest stage in basketball (the NBA Finals). How do I hold that against him or talk **** about it when I never played anything above a highschool level. He's living the life so many of us dreamt about as children by playing the game he loves for a living, so in a sense he's right and many of us are envious.
gohawkz
Well-Known Member
He didn't have a problem taking millions of dollars from those people buying his jerseys, tickets, etc. Those people are the reason that he is rich.
By that logic no pro player could ever be called out by fans for acting like a jerk or choking in the finals.
aaronzuriel
Well-Known Member
Lebron's life is better than 99.9 oer cent of fellow human beings.
The King is still dealing with the childhood issues of having no Dad and not much love or caring sent his way.
Now when he has a stage, is honest and has voice he get's crucified for speaking his mind.
You 99.9 percent:
YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!
The King is still dealing with the childhood issues of having no Dad and not much love or caring sent his way.
Now when he has a stage, is honest and has voice he get's crucified for speaking his mind.
You 99.9 percent:
YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!
I don't have Lebron's money. But I have gone through a lot of years of school to get an advanced degree that allows me to do things that only a select group of individuals get to do.
I have made a name for myself and have performed at the highest levels of my field.
We don't all aspire to the same things. For example, just like I could not stay with Lebron on a basketball court, the same would be true for him if he tried to engage me in my field. The same is true if I tried to engage an expert in any number of professions in their specialty.
It takes a very narrow perspective to claim one person's life is better then 99.9% of the population. It is better if you value what that life offers, not so much if you value other things.
But even going by Lebron's own value claims, he has problems. He has stated that he wants to be the first billionaire athlete. Well, alienating potential clientele is not the way to get there. Either he can't be happy about that state of affairs, or he is just highly ignorant. The only way he will meet that goal is if he attains the status of an admired star. He can't go the Barry Bonds route. He can still win championships that way, but he isn't going to make the money he has claimed he wants to make.
MultipleDundieAwardWinner
Banned
Umm, not it's not. Lebron is hated because of his off court behavior. His choking has only made it worse, since he couldn't back up all the junk he talked.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
His performance in past playoff series (namely against the Celtics) also contributed. The perception of ring-chasing was a big part of it. The Decision was huge, but there was more to it than just the way he handled things. The act of leaving for Miami, even if he'd handled it well, would have been criticized when trying to define his legacy.
Edit: Also, the hostility that I was referencing to was the stuff that's going on right now, not what he put up with all season. Any player who wants to be the greatest of all time has to produce in crunch time of the Finals. LeBron didn't. And he's being raked over the coals for it, just like any other player would be in that situation.
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kicker22
Well-Known Member
The problem I have with this is the fact that he is the same exact person he was before "the decision" just now everybody suddenly hates him. By all means call him out for choking in the finals, but lets be honest his behavior on the court hasn't changed a bit. He was the same "jerk" in Cleveland, but nobody seemed to care back then.
And as far as the he didn't have a problem taking millions of dollars from those people comment, those people are the reason he is rich. They are also the reason that he's had the silver spoon in his life his entire basketball career, got everything his way, and became the ego that he is.
But let's seriously be honest here, he was the most hated player in the NBA this season prior to the start of the finals, so his choking had little to do with it. If he hadn't choked all his haters would have simply found something else to ***** about.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
At least in my case, I disagree with your last point. If LeBron had a Jordan-like Finals, I would have swallowed it. I still wouldn't be able to stand him, but I wouldn't find something else to pick on. I just can't stand the dude. I tolerated him when he was in Cleveland, but only barely. Watching him act absolutely SHOCKED after every foul call against him (especially the offensive fouls where he practically stiff-arms the defender in the face) is enough to make a man sick.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I guess my problem with the whole thing is that IMO I see alot of the same qualities in both him and Wade but 95% of the time Lebron is chatised for his antics while Wade gets the free pass. Given Wade showed up for the 4th quarter of the finals, but suprisingly he and Bosh get free passes for periods of poor play throughout the playoffs.
MultipleDundieAwardWinner
Banned
Wade was the one who choked in the 4th quarter of games 6. Lebron ran away from the moment, giving it to Wade, and Wade took the moment and dribbled it off his foot and out of bounds.
Who exactly are your favorite players right now? Who was your favorite growing up?
kicker22
Well-Known Member
The amazing part of that is that I remember so many posts on these boards earlier in the season stating that Wade was the closer and Lebron needed to recognize that and let him close. Whether or not Lebron "ran away from the moment" or in fact put the ball in Wade's hand because he was infact their go to guy in the finals, the fact is Wade choked but no one wants to admit that. Also I can't remember seeing any mention of Lebrons triple double in game 5 on these boards, all I see and read on these boards is about his failures. Not saying that individual stats out weigh the win/loss column or that he had a good series, but the fact is that he had a few good games that went unnoticed.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Right now, Rose is by far my favorite player to watch, but I also like watching Kevin Durant when I can.
I didn't really watch much basketball growing up, because I was just young enough to miss Jordan. Then it got to the point where it seemed like EVERYONE was whining, there was no defense outside of Detroit and San Antonio. Now the league is more fun to watch for me, because there's more defense and less whining. But LeBron's complaining about the fouls when he clears himself (on JJ Barea, of ALL people) by stiff arming the defender, that just gets on my nerves like you can't believe.
