It’s amazing how few of my friends like LeBron James. Most can’t stand him and complain he’s a loser, he’s a baby, he’s selfish, and he shouldn’t ever win. I can somewhat understand the sentiment as I don’t like Tom Brady. I think he’s a whiner, but I certainly respect his talent and I’ve been amazed by how cool he’s been at the end of some games.
What amazes me is how many people say he’s selfish. How can a guy that passes so often, especially at the end of games be selfish? Two of the most often shown Jordan highlights are his passes to Steve Kerr and BJ Armstrong at the end of big playoff games. I get a lot of criticism, especially about The Decision, but selfish? Come on.
Rick Reilly wrote a great column about LeBron, and I agree. We should lay off a bit of the criticism that isn’t warranted. LeBron hasn’t been a failure in his career. He hasn’t been as amazing as we’d like, and he certainly hasn’t been a champion, but he’s made three finals, two with arguably average teams, and he’s played well. He’s missed some big shots, and he’s not taken others.
The biggest complaint I have is that his behavior at the end of a few games was poor. He walked off, he pouted, he ignore teammates, or he seemed to give up at different times. Not many, but a few, and in some big games.
I’m rooting for him to win. Not the 6 or 7 he talked about when he came to Miami, but one or two. I don’t know he’ll do it this year, but it’s Heat/Thunder, I think he has a good chance.
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1 comment:
I don't like LeBron, either, but only from a perspective that he's been an opponent for teams I do like. It's hard to understand why so many knock him for not accomplishing enough if he doesn't win the title (and doesn't play in convincing fashion, almost 1-on-5).
Is he the greatest player today? Maybe, but does it really matter? How do you measure this? He certainly can't play center like Bosh. Does this mean Bosh is better? Of course not. What is certain is he is one of the best players today. He is in everybody's top 5 if that person knows anything about basketball.
I will admit that from a player/competitor perspective, Kobe is still my favorite. His personal life is another matter. But just because I like Kobe, that doesn't mean I have to dislike LeBron as an athlete. I just dislike that he's a member of particular teams.
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