Wednesday, August 12th, 2009 at 10:30 am  |  100 responses

LeBron on Shaking Hands in NBA: Not Done

According to James, no matter what your eyes may lead you to believe on a nightly basis, shaking hands in the League following the game simply doesn’t happen. Nope: “When the reporter reminded James that most players usually shake hands at the end of a playoff series, James bristled again. ‘No you don’t, no you don’t,’ he responded. After a few more seconds of back and forth, James continued to try to explain his position. ‘Teamwork has nothing to do with shaking hands,’ James said. ‘I’m not a poor sport at all. You can ask anyone that knows me, I’m not a poor sport at all. Who brought up the rule that shaking hands, that’s what you’re supposed to do? No one shakes hands at the end of series all the time. No one does that. No one does that at all.”‘

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  • http://www.sonicbids.com doyouwantmore

    In the heat of the moment it was forgiveable. But apparently Lebron has decided he is more than human and can change the laws of the universe and bend the nature of reality itself with his words alone. What a d!ck.

  • http://www.mybleedingfingertips.blogspot.com/ Myles Brown

    Um, someone bronfiscated my keyboard?

  • D12FSU

    it looks like a mix between the Hawks and Magic jerseys

  • danny

    Umm, after the pistons series didn’t lebron shake their hands??? After he sweeped the hawks i remember seeing lebron shake the other teams hands. After they lost though, lebron doesn’t shake hands.

  • http://www.slamonline.com wayno

    Later, LeBron told the reporter that there is no such thing as Orlando, or even Florida. He also stated that he blocked Michael Jordan’s shot over Craig Ehlo in 1989.

  • http://www.manutd.com Z

    Bryan, have a good day. I’m too old to insult people I don’t know over the Internet.

  • http://lastknickstanding.blogspot.com Bryan

    Was I insulting?

  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Cheryl

    Man, we all need the ’09/’10 season to start! This is such a non-story. Now, ‘private images’ from Baron Davis’ laptop? THAT’S a story!

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    LeBron needs to admit his faults, but that won’t happen. He’s a great player, and he seems like an okay dude if you got to meet him, but this is getting annoying.
    And Z, the who really cares about skipping a freakin’ press conference? That’s a formality anyways. What he really should have been sorry about was ditching his teammates on the flight back home and not shaking hands or even congratulating the Magic players. Oh that’s right, he sent an e-mail to Dwight Howard. What about the other guys who played hard?

  • http://lastknickstanding.blogspot.com Bryan

    You just wanna see baron naked cheryl.

  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Cheryl

    Ya think, Shia?

  • http://gmail dirty frank

    I think next time he loses he should just pee all over the opponents bench.

  • http://djsklfl.com Jukai

    Nice, Frank.

  • http://dubaiinvestmentnow.com Graham

    Another unimportant story that’s being put out there for no reason. As a competitor I hate my opponent and never want to shake their hand. Who cares?

  • http://erica@boldazmedia.com erica dacosta

    LEBRON GROW UP I LIKE YOUR SKILL HAS A B BALL PLAYER BUT TRUTH BE KNOW GROW UP U MUST SOMETIMES EVERYONE KNOWS ITS NOT COOL TO LOOSE IMPORTANT GAMES SUCK IT UP AND HAVE SOME SPORTMANSHIP ALL EYES ON U GO KOBE LA LAKERS.

  • http://erica@boldazmedia.com erica dacosta

    LEBRON GROW UP I LIKE YOUR SKILL HAS A B BALL PLAYER BUT TRUTH BE KNOW GROW UP U MUST SOMETIMES EVERYONE KNOWS ITS NOT COOL TO LOOSE IMPORTANT GAMES SUCK IT UP AND HAVE SOME SPORTMANSHIP ALL EYES ON U GO KOBE LA LAKERS.

  • http://www.slamonline.com wayno

    Tell us how you really feel Erica…

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  • http://djsklfl.com Jukai

    Erica, it has come to my attention that your caplock may be on

  • RedRum

    All that coming from a player that has only made the finals once and lost it with a sweep… shut up LBJ… be a man!

  • ENDS

    I hate the Backers who will actually say Oh you dont need to do that. I’m a High School Teacher, a Kids Basketball coach, and a father who wants the young people i come across to have good morals and not adore idiots like this guy, and the millions and millions of Leaches who agree with any of the Garbage this ***** spews. I dont wait for LeBron To tell me how life is. Hell im Older and probably smater than this fool anyway

  • http://erica@boldazmedia.com erica dacosta

    from one teacher to the next its been reached and to my understanding he is a parent as well we are hear trying to teach the youth on how to behave in class and on the hard top.

  • http://erica@boldazmedia.com erica dacosta

    from one teacher to the next its been reached and to my understanding he is a parent as well we are hear trying to teach the youth on how to behave in class and on the hard top.

  • Exist4eva

    Fcuk shaking hands…this is war we dont shake hands with the ppl that just kicked our ass..you say fcuk em and them regroup and beat them back

  • dhowardmagic

    Is Lebron trying to pull a Brock Lesnar where he wants to be hated and just seen as the tough guy? He’s doing pretty well so far, I already hate him.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    It’s a war from the moment you step on the court, but as soon as the final buzzer sounds, win or lose, you’re expected to show dignity in defeat and graciousness in victory.
    The problem with James’ actions is that he isn’t upholding what our society believes to be the ‘moral and ethical fabrics’ of our generation. That’s where we have conflicting views on the steps to be taken.
    BTW, Izzo easily had comment of the day, but it slipped by all of you I think.
    Frank… I laughed, but only because of Jukai’s response haha.

  • JL

    let’s just read between the lines at what lebron’s really trying to say… “I’m a bad sport, but a good teammate.” Lebron doesn’t understand the meaning of being a good sport, so he doesn’t use it correctly or can answer to it.

    Although I don’t know if he’s the best teammate considering he iso’s so much and his teammates are always blamed for losses. Not his fault, but just a matter of fact.

  • Sopas

    Why doesn’t he just man up? Why can’t he look at Michael Jordan, he says, ‘I could accept losing but I can’t accept not trying’. And if Lebron did apologize for his disrespectful action he would at least gain respect from other players and the media, but instead he implies that he’s correct, well not wrong anyways. Lebron YOU ARE the playoff’s biggest loser and can I add the offseason too cos he got dunked on by a highschooler. I bet he shook that boy’s hand, lol!

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    good sportsmanship, is IMPLIED by the fact that this happened after a game of SPORTS….
    ..I just want to know what he thinks a handshake means…? Does he feels it stifles his own identity, somehow giving the winning man/team an edge for next time around? Does he NEVER handshake, or just when the stakes are higher? What if it was his team that won, or swept even?? Would he go looking to shake hands?
    Unfortunately I am questioning this role models motives everytime I see him intereact with other people form here on in.

  • http://yahoo.com Logues

    pretty sure if “noone does that at all” like bron says then we would not be making a big deal of this and ppl wouldnt be asking bron about it. lebron, grow a pair

  • http://slamonline Negetivekreep

    “I’m not a poor sport at all. You can ask anyone that knows me, I’m not a poor sport at all.”

    A rather sound explanation from an increasingly articulate and persuasive LBJ. Equally credible and Convincing.

    Especially if your nickname rymes with ‘ring’ and or if you beleive talcome powder to be ritually symbolic of a white dove.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    izzo…i wish i understood…sorry, but the sense of worthiness and grandour of the comment was too much for us simpletons… :/

  • http://slamonline Negetivekreep

    LeBron i want my money B*tch!
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    *Sincerely, former, (Chief Advisor to Richard Nixon)

  • http://www.slamonline.com 24 Karat Gold

    Shaking someone’s hand after competition is an unwritten rule of sports. We see it in boxing or even MMA where two people beat each others brains out and end it in an acknowledgement of each others skills. It’s called R-E-S-P-E-C-T. LeBron obviously does’nt want to show that respect.

  • badnews

    *yawn*

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    Z: His as*holeness is just the overall way he acts as if he can do no wrong and doesn’t feel like he owes anybody anything – ever.
    Him not shaking hands wasn’t classy, but it’s not the real issue. What contributes more to this new Kobe-esque Bron-hate, is how he doesn’t back down and just simply say, “my bad”. “Emotions got the best of me”. Anything, really.
    That’s all he has to say and the story’s over for good. But what does he say instead?

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    And @Allenp: Not to nitpick, but if you really want to read exactly what the man’s saying — he’s wrong. There ARE people who shake hands after every series. Grant Hill after all his failures. John Hornacek, maybe. David Robinson, etc.

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    Hell, the Admiral took the mike and addressed EVERYTHING after the one of the most embarassing individual playoff moments of all time against Dream. That’s class.

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    Hell, the Admiral took the mike and addressed EVERYTHING after the one of the most embarrassing individual playoff moments of all time against Dream. That’s class.

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    H*ll, the Admiral took the mike and addressed EVERYTHING after the one of the most embarrassing individual playoff moments of all time against Dream. That’s class.

  • http://canucks.com tealish

    Whoops!

  • Airswade

    Lebron is starting to piss me off……

  • ED

    I think a lot of you guys tend to forget that he sent an e-mail to Dwight later on to congratulate him and also wished him good luck for the finals. It’s for sure that he was a bad loser in that series just like you guys all pointed it out but then again does a handshake matter that much? You all say he’s nt that big but if we actually post 90 comments on such a detail I think the dude is huge, media made him huge and now it’s just like with Kobe, it’s either love him or hate him. There is also a way of appreciating his on the court performances and letting the media worry about some wack details of shaking hands or not. In any cases even if you dont understand that move and want to blame it I don’t think it makes for a reason to hate him.

  • zabba

    Where I come from the losing team’s gotta shake the other team’s dick. It’s degrading but we still have to do it.

  • http://www.realcavsfans.com Anton

    ^LOL. Are you from the glorious nation of Kazakhstan?

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    People are making a lot of excuses for Lebron, his true character is just showing, so you get to see the real him an his agent, mom, nike people can change his jacked up views of teamwork, since he was given the name of the being the ultimate teammate, but didn’t pass the ball when matter and held ball and single handly thru Mo Williams off his game but you are seeing the real deal Lebaby being his classless, I have been called the King and Chosen One, but have less highlights than Dominque Wilkins and have less game winning buzzer beaters than Vince Carter. Truth Hurts this is him, Hate him or kind of like like him.

  • CSP8

    WOW still can’t believe it, all of this over a non-handshake that nobody noticed until the media blew it up because they were mad because he didn’t give the post-game interview. I’m sure there are too many conference finals winners and losers non-handshakers to list and they probably weren’t asked about it at any point in their lives. I watched game 6 of the ’83 WCF last night and Magic ran to the locker room with a big smile on his face while George Gervin and most of the Spurs just got the hell off the court. I guess they’re both as*holes too.

  • tavoris

    he probably should not even talk about it anymore…NOBODY agrees with you on this bron-bron…

  • youngmuggsy

    Nobody travels in the NBA either.

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