LeBron James: Race Factor in Post-’Decision’ Backlash
by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
When Team LeBron somehow came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea for James to announce his free agent decision during a 1-hour live television event, everyone (except for them) realized that things would never be the same.
The resulting fallout was immediate, loud, and ultimately predictable. According to LeBron and his best friend Maverick Carter (who serves as CEO of their marketing company), the public and media didn’t just turn on LBJ just because he’s bad at creating television programming — they claim that race played a role in some of the vitriol.
The topic was briefly discussed by the two on CNN last night. The Akron Beacon Journal has the pertinent quotes:
Maverick Carter admitted in an interview Wednesday night on CNN the execution of the “Decision” could have been better. LeBron James is proud of the $3 million the show raised for the Boys & Girls Club. Both men believe race has played a factor in the backlash James has received.
“I think so at times,” James said. “It’s always, you know, a race factor.” Added Carter: “It definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media, things that were written. For sure.” To be fair, the race question was posed by CNN reporter Soledad O’Brien. It was asked about halfway through the segment, both men answered separately and the piece proceeded with no further mention.
There’s been some discussion about the role of race and culture in the unrelenting post-”Decision” analysis, but this is the first time that anyone from the James camp has addressed the issue, making it significant since LeBron typically steers clear of such controversial subjects.
So, what do you guys think: Did people do a 180 on LeBron James because of the way he left Cleveland, or is he on to something when he brings up the race factor?
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Theres typically the double standard in sports that nobody seems to speak of. For example when a White quarterback throws an interception into double coverage, he’s considered a fearless Gunslinger, but when a black quaterback does it he’s a moron.
Lebron has so much talent that he didn’t have to team up with another superstar to win a title but now you’ll never know. He can’t be mentioned with Mj or Kobe anymore cause even tho he is as talented as those guys he doesn’t have the same fire to win. Therefor he’s trying to take the easy way.
DA’F#@K ?!?!? You’re kidding me right? Bet money, Lebron received a phone call from David Stern after he and Maverick Carter made this statement. This is a slippery slope, w/no merit IMO, that Stern does not want one of the faces of the league to even play with. Another bad move by Team Lebron, smh.
@Hisham Let’s be serious. They will win a few championships. Especially when Kobe and the Lakers are done.
@Yknot Great point about Roethlisberger
@webstarr It’s easy to be racist as a basketball fan. You could believe that you own the guy you’re watching and his job is to entertain you or make you money if you’re Dan Gilbert. Once he exercises his free will and leaves a team to play for a better team, your racist views show themselves and you, oh I don’t know, decide to burn a jersey or two.
Dan Gilbert was invested in LeBron the person. The person creates the brand so you can’t really separate the two. He was a millionaire before he got the Cavs and he will be a millionaire now that his prize player is gone. So he couldn’t have been that angry just because he was going to lose some money. The only flaw in LeBron’s action as you put it was the tv special. But that made $3 million dollars for the Boys and Girls Clubs so I don’t know how much of a total mistake it was. Understand who LeBron is. He makes decisions for himself. No one influences him. He was ready for the backlash as long as he made money for charity.
@webstarr AI’s situation was brushed off because his wife came out and said that it wasn’t true, not because people said “Well, it’s AI.”
You guys can all go home now.
2.)”Why is he blaming racism for the backlash?” – HE said he felt race was a factor “at times”. He never made the blanket statement that he was getting backlash just because he’s black. Why are so many people twisting his words?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEVmAbxC14g
I mean, did y’all happen to read Dan Gilbert’s pandering, paternalistic letter to the Cleveland fans?
95 percent of Americans can’t have an intelligent rational discussion about race or racism.
And yes, I have the research to back up that statistic… Let me pull it out of my anus.
He brought it up. Not me.
It’s a tad dishonest to say Lebron brought up race. I mean, Soleadad, who has made a living creating shows that deal superficially with race in the past few years, asked he and Maverick if race played a role in the reaction. They responded based on their opinions and, according to blurb on this article, didn’t dwell on the topic.
It seems like the only acceptable response was “No race had nothing to do with it.”
Yet, most of the intelligent folks here have already admitted that comment would have been hopelessly naive considering the realities of American life.
I get that you think Bron wants to be the man and do his thing without paying the price, but I think MOST people (captial lettter) want that life. Very few people just nut up and take their lick.
Lebron is still deluded if he thinks the Decision was in any way a good idea. But, he’s not deluded when he points out that the reaction from its depth to some of its manifestations, involved race.
I’m not shocked this is up for debate, but I am a tad disappointed.
There is no “card.” There is no deck.
M-Effers who use that term in a discussion about race are for more likely to have me consider them insensitive idiots, no offense.
Talking about race is talking about race. Calling it the “race card” minimizes the discussion and presents it as some magic get out of jail free card that black people love to use.
The reality is that white people are for more likely to use race and interject race into discussions, they just don’t consider it a problem when they do it because they assume they and other white people have the proper objectivity to carefully discuss race.
Total bullsh*t, but that appears to be the common belief.
Think about how often you use the phrase race card, and think about how often you’ve used that phrase when discussing the actions of a white person.
Just think about it.
“white people can’t react or say anything regarding a person of another race without being tagged as racist, yet somehow that’s not a problem to most people.”
This is a blatant lie. More importantly, when did being tagged as a racist become a capital crime.
It sure didn’t hurt STrom Thurmond, Trent Lott, Robert Byrd and Jesse Helms, did it?
Russ Limbaugh seems to be doing just fine, right?
GTFOH
Get this: If Steve Nash, fresh after his two-time MVP-but-not-successful-with-team campaigns, decided to do what LeBron did (not be clear to the Suns, flirt with all other teams in the league, do a one-hour special, and then ditch Suns in front of the entire planet), then the backlash would have been as (or more) severe for Nash.
Of course, Nash wouldn’t do that, because Nash isn’t a prick.
Oh, and I almost forgot how the Nash situation would be different – LeBron essentially did it to his hometown team.
I did not consider Lebron the “King” of the NBA.
I did not have any higher expectations for Lebron than I had for any other superstar despite marketing plan surrounding him.
I think Lebron’s friends aren’t always the best advisors.
I understand why he trusts them more than random strangers he met after he was already rich.
I don’t think he owed Cleveland anything.
I do think discretion is smart, and he should have used some when announcing his new team.
I think peop[le still would have burned jerseys.
I think most Americans are completely ignorant about exactly how widespread racism and discrimination were in this country, and how that reality impacts the country in massive ways still today.
I’m don’t value all opinions.
I like writing in declarative statements.
How about if I write: If white two-time MVP Steve Nash, who won his MVPs despite having mediocre stats for a superstar and playing in an uptempo system surrounded by talent, had made a similar decision the mainstream media and fans would have found a way to rationalize his choice. They would have explained that Nash have given Phoenix is heart and soul for many years and turned the franchise around. He now deserved to win. In fact, many of these arguments were made when Nash was considering whether to sign an extension a few years back, and people lauded him for his dedication to the franchise and turned a blind eye to the fact that his massive extension was far more than he would have received on the open market.
Now, if I wrote that, would it be true just because I called my comments “facts”?
People who speak of hypothetical situations as facts having really thought through their arguments well. I mean, how can you debate something is people basically create a reality with its own set of rules that only they know?
Have you ever used the term race card for a statement made by a white person?
Have you ever seen a white person interject race into an issue when it wasn’t warranted?
Unless you answer to both of those questions is yes, what sort of standing do you have?
And I don’t twist people’s comments or insert motives.
I state my opinion based on the facts available to me. What’s amazing to me is the people who have definite, staunch opinions on race, but then turnaround and say that don’t see color, or that they don’t really think about race that much, or that they’re not interested in reading about racial matters.
That’s really amazing.
Are you one of those people Wayno?
But be honest, would you trust your homies, or trust a random financial adviser after all the stories we’ve seen about athletes getting robbed blind?
I mean, the best course would be to use both, which I understand Lebron and his friends do.
Obviously, Lebron has a massive ego and so do his friends, and their insular bubble leads to poor decisions. It’s kind of like what you see with presidents, who eventually are surrounded by yes men and women who only tell them what they want to hear unless they actively work to consider and include dissenting voices. When you get rich and powerful the bubble issue is a real problem, but so is the issue with random leeches coming out of the woodwork. It’s a tough spot in a way.
LA Huey, bakers’-dozen, and Myles all make a good point here. Lebron and his people have never struck me as being the most intelligent guys in the room…. Sorry man, but that, at least in my crazy mind, is a far cry from “they never struck you as being intelligent.” You say you apologize for twisting my words, but editing my comment makes it read completely different, and therefor, is not indicative of what I was trying to say. I have no problem debating you and T-Money, but you guys are debating with me based on words and ideas that are not even mine.
You are incorrect.
The term “race card” is supposed to mean that someone incorrectly inserted race into a discussion that had nothing to do with race in order to gain an advantage..
Are you saying white people don’t do this?
Might I point you to the 2008 presidential election, or Glenn Beck and Fox News for further research.
Now I “cry racism.”
That’s funny.
It’s like you don’t even consider the connotations of the words you use. Lol.
And I’m sorry, but I missed the post where I said that every white person burning Lebron’s jersey did so because he’s black. Could you point that post out to me?
There is very little difference between definitely saying that race played NO role in an saying and saying that race was single determinant in an action.
Both statements are based on massive assumptions. Furthermore, what test do you have to prove how much of a role race played in a decision?
All you have are your opinions based on the facts available in most cases. I tend to dislike it when people form opinions without even considering facts.
Diesel
We’ve been having the same discussions because you and Wayno share similar opinions.
Didn’t you also tell me you don’t spend much time thinkng about race or reading about racial matters in history and the present?
Just saying.
Come on, you can tell us.
there’s more racism on white people in basketball, but I think it’s justified to say blacks are better.
So many problems with this statement, so little time.
It’s imprecise to chalk up what you just discussed with players’ trades to racism.
For one, just because there is a racial disparity doesn’t automatically mean there is racism. For example, there are far more black players in the NBA then any other race, does that mean the NBA has racist practices when it selects new players?
Also, owners do a good job of hiding their wealth and using the media to convince fans that expressing loyalty for their cutthroate corporations makes logical sense. It’s not about race as much as the fact that owners have created this idea that the “team” is more important than the individual, and injustices committed against the individual are exceptable as long as the “team” prospers.
It’s the same argument used throughout American history to justify scores of injustices against a variety of people. Think about it.
Sure, race is involved in how people view players and owners and general managers but it’s a nuanced thing.
Let me break it down for you.
What does it mean when someone says “cry rape’?
What does the word “cry” mean?
How do you “cry racism”?
Think about the term.
What if you told someone you couldn’t afford food and they said you were “crying poor”?
What would be the implication their?
Is it negative?
Did I insert it, or did you use a term that clearly expressed your derision?
You continue to accuse me of “inserting” meaning into your words when the real problem is that you haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about what you say.
Cry racism
The race card
No thought to what those terms imply and I”m sure there are countless others that are part of your daily lexicon.
It’s cool, most people don’t think about what they say or write. But, since my business involves words, and I understand the power of words to frame and shape debates, I DO think about the meanings behind terms.
And, the phrases “race card” and “cry racism” have definite connotations.
Think about it.
I see your perspective.
And Diesel’s.
What’s funny is that of all the poeple who post on this site, I guarantee you you’re the only two who think I don’t consider other people’s opinions.
I would stake money on it.
Nah, the problem is that I don’t agree with you, that I know more than you about this particular subject, and you are at a loss for how to respond beyond your personal opinions that you’ve spend very little time truly considering.
I mean, I’ve never watched a hockey game, don’t know the basic rules, haven’t studied it’s history and don’t understand any of its nuances.
Would my opinion on hockey be valid just because I know how to ice skate and swing a stick?
I think not.
If you don’t think about race, you don’t read about race, you don’t think about why you believe what you believe and you don’t have much information about the racial history of this country, all you’re doing is skating a swining a stick.
That ain’t hockey.
You said:“What about when owners have NO decency when they trade players behind their backs? Do the fans get all angry and try to burn down the owner’s house NO. Just another thing that points to racism being involved because the majority of players are black and the overwhelming majority of owners are white.”,/i>
That statement is imprecise. I’ve learned that in these types of discussions, which I’ve had hear far too many times, it’s best to be precise. Some people won’t hear you anyway, but others will.
For, The King is really exposing today’s society as the idol worshiping entity that many of us are.
Anyways, racism?
Debatable, obviously.
Was his comment a bad move?
Debatable, also.
Barkley, Bird, Isiah, and numerous others have gone farther out on the limb with their racial comments than The King has with this one.
It is not because he is black. It is because he is… THE KING.
LONG… LIVE… THE KING.
Shout out @The Fresh Prince of Nsam.
We’ve discussed it in the past. I’m going by your past responses.
I come off as a pompous know it all because I don’t agree with you.
Besides, why would a state an opinion I don’t think is right?
That would be asinine.
Did you use the phrases “race card” and “cry racism”?
Did I explain the problems I have with those terms?
What exactly do you disagree with about those statements? Was there some fallacy in my logic? Did I misrepresent reality?
Please, enlighten me.
Is that factual?
Did you explain why being called a “racist” is such a horrible thing?
Did you respond when I pointed all the people who have been called a racist who’ve had great lives in many respects?
Nah, you said I’m pompous, that I twist what people write and I don’t want to hear what you’re saying.
In the past you’ve complained I look for hidden meanings in what people say.
Which is it?
Am I not listening enough, or am I listening to closely?
It doesn’t make sense.
I used to like LeBron. Dude thinks the world revolves around him. I don’t like him anymore.
I hope he never wins a championship.
That is all.
I said that I rarely, almost never, hear white people accuse other white people of playing the race card.
This is despite the fact that white people frequently insert race into a discussion despite the fact that it’s not merited.
This is what black people get accused of doing when the phrase “race card” is used.
My point was to get poeple to consider why the phrase “race card” is typically only used to describe actions by black people despite the fact that both black and white people interject race into discussions when it doesn’t appear to be warranted.
Your point about white people being the majority doesn’t really apply because BOTH groups are guilty of committing the infraction that gets the “race card” label.
(Also, the phrase “race card” is sometimes used just for interjecting race into a discussion whether it’s a warranted interjection or not. Just discussing race is using the race card.)
(Herbert Morrison)
This conversation has been all I expected it to be, and aside from the welcome comments from the magazine’s writers, I’m kicking myself for engaging in this debate.
If you don’t think “cry racism” and “race card” are problematic so be it. See, I could respect it if someone said “Well that’s what I’m used to saying” but I can’t respect it when someone says “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Thanks for the diversion.
You have no idea the parameters of my mind.
And, I understood exactly what you meant when you wrote “cry racism.” Just like I understand what the word “connotation” means.
For reference purposes:
connotation: a.An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing: Hollywood holds connotations of romance and glittering success.
b.The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.
Connotations are meanings associated with words. If you are attempting to communicate with someone, it would behoove you to know the connotations of the words you used in order to ensure that your point is understood by them.
The idea that when I call somebody or something “racist” I am “crying racism” because you or anyone else disagrees with my statement is idiotic.
Your beliefs do not determine reality. As history shows us, for centuries human beings have excelled at being cruel, inhumane and racist, and often went out of their way to state that their behaviors were none of those things. That is a fact.
So, if your main justification for why something isn’t racist is “Because I said so” then it’s not about agreement or disagreement. It’s about respect.
I don’t respect the thoughts of people who engage in a discussion based on facts and opinions and only bring opinions to the party.
You can’t just ignore facts because it feels better that way. Well you can, but it looks stupid.
So, you think that because YOU didn’t feel a certain way that means that MOST people don’t feel that way.
That’s your logic. Like, you set down, thought about this topic, wrote that out and it really made sense to you while you were writing it?
You think that because three black people made negative comments abotu the decision, it can’t be about race?
So, if I producted polls showing that the vast majority of black people DID think it was about race, would that mean they were right? Or would you still stick with those three opinions?
Diesel and Wayno
You can stick with the “he twists my words” and “he knows what I mean” defense if you like. Whatever makes you feel better.
I don’t have to “look smart.” I am smart. I’ve got the personal testimonies and Q ratings to prove it. Lol.
cmere gimme a kiss
The main dispute appears to be about how much and whether Lebron should have been discussing this in the first place. Then again, that could be wrong since I don’t read a lot of people’s comments.
Did you happen to forget that you just wrote that your dislike of Lebron’s move wasn’t about race and therefore you found it upsetting that he said most of the problems with his decision were about race?
I mean, you just wrote that, and there are two things wrong with that:
1. The most glaring problem is that Lebron never said that. I mean, did you even read the blurb? Not only did he not blame “most” of the outrage on race, he said the EXACT OPPOSITE. He used words like “some” and “at times” to make it clear that it was only a factor. I know you think I have this issue with parsing people’s words, but when you make blatant factual errors about someone said, and those errors are the main underpinning for your argument, well it does tend to irk me.
2. Let’s say that it was an alternate universe and Lebron had said “most.” Don’t you find it strange that your sole proof he is wrong is that what he said wasn’t true for you? In you regular life, how often do you rely on genralizations to make decisions and develop opinions? Do you discard those generalization and opinions if it turns out that there is a small group of people who render them invalid? For example, I believe we’ve discussed what you affectionately call the “thug” look? Would you say that a certain look isn’t the “thug” look if I could point out that about 5 percent of the people who dress like “thugs” are actually college graduates with white collar jobs?
Simply put, your logic is bad. Deciding that something is untrue simply because it’s not true for you is illogical. Can you see that problem?
Why do you think Lebron is using race as a strawman?
In all of the discussions we’ve seen with him has he EVER discussed race as a motivation for the the reaction to The Decision?
This is the first time it’s been discussed, and it was in response to a direct question.
I’m shocked, I am really REALLY shocked at how quickly people have taken the idea that Lebron is using race as an excuse and run with it.
I mean, in the blurb the writer makes a point of saying the EXACT OPPOSITE.
Moreover, Lebron says the exact same thing that you said Izzo about the role of race in everything.
It’s really crazy how his comments have become about his playing the race card when he responded to a direct question about race. It’s shocking.
As I said in an earlier comment, for many, MANY people in this country and on this site apparently the only correct answer to that question was “No, not at all.”
I am struggling to understand how so many people can read about the circumstances surrounding Lebron’s comment, and read his actual comments and come up with some of the responses I”ve read here.
This has really confirmed for me that the word “race” causes most people to don a peculiar set of blinders.
Lebron never said most. He never tried to blame the reaction to his move on race. He never called the people of Ohio racists. He never said the decision was a great idea and people who don’t think so are bigots.
He never did any of those things, yet many people on here have argued as if he did.
I just don’t understand it, I really, really don’t. How does the issue of race cause so many people to become so divorced from reality? How can anyone see this discussion and not be convinced that we are very far away from having any sort of real resolution of this country’s longstanding racial problems? We can’t even have a discussion based on what actually happened!
So sad.
“I think so at times,” James said. “It’s always, you know, a race factor.” then he basically said nothing. That’s tantamount to saying :”Yes, I believe the sky is blue”. Implicitly, I think Carter probably is playing image clean up somewhat, usinga grand undefinable in defense of his own bad decisions, but that’s no doubt my own pessimism at work. Allen, I’ve been reading your stuff for too long to know that you’re not genuinely bemused by the reaction. Any mention of race, legitimate or self serving is met on the defensive. Nobody likes to be called racism and nobody really identifies as racist(well..). People, in these cases always respond as if they personally had been accused of racism, so they dismiss it as ‘the race card’ or overcompensate the other way (I’m doing it now!). I think the reaction is more down to fear of accused of racism-or just fear of being racist rather than any actual racism. Okay, I’m being Captain Obvious. Race is a hot button issue, if you didn’t know. PS The reaction is probably colored (!) by the fact that people really hate LeBron right now, no matter the race and are willing to dismiss anything he says. If a comet was going to hit and destory earth and LeBron was the only one who knew about it and had an easy way of destroying it, the world would probably be wiped out.
I’m sure some know what I’m talking about.
And it’s telling the impression you got from the comments.
I see you’re not going to address your factual error. Cool.
Wayno
You don’t know how I work, I never “cry racism” and I doubt you know many people like me. I really, really doubt it.
I’m that special. lol.
And what would you like proof for?
Allenp Posted: Sep.30 at 11:54 am
Oh, and I effing hate the term “race card.”
There is no “card.” There is no deck.
M-Effers who use that term in a discussion about race are for more likely to have me consider them insensitive idiots, no offense.
Talking about race is talking about race. Calling it the “race card” minimizes the discussion and presents it as some magic get out of jail free card that black people love to use.
Key words, in my opinion, are “insensitive” and “minimizes.”
So my constant references to the blurb above this comment section, my actual quotations of other commenters’ posts, and the actual cut and paste job from the dictionary weren’t “documentary proof”?
Or did you just miss those?
Would you like me to cut and paste the Wikipedia entry for “documentary evidence”?
Again which comments do you feel lacked proof?
When I disagreed on the idea that Lebron blamed “most” fans reaction on race, I pointed to his actual comments.
When I wanted to explain to you the meaning of the word connotation, I posted the definition.
When I wanted to dispute something that a slam poster wrote, I used what they actually wrote.
What did you disagree with that I need to provide proof for? Would you like links to studies on race and racism? Should I provide you with a bibliography? Footnotes?
Top notch journalists? Nah, not me. Never professed to be one. But, what I am is somebody who uses logic quite well, and has a clear understanding of what he believes on faith and what he can prove with facts. I’m also well aware of what I say and write and how it might impact others.
But, it’s cool, I get the game you’re playing. Good for you, I hope it’s satisfying. I already won the game I was playing.
I thought you conceded that racism played a role.
Cosign everything Myles has wrote. For those people where race plays an issue in every decision, then race played an issue in The Decision. But to rationalize all of the hate as racisism is just crazy. And that’s exactly what Carter did by glancing over the fact that The Decison was a horrible concept and then placing emphasis on “race always playing a factor”.
Did I misread this comment by you, or are you now asking me to prove a statement that you made?
Always does not mean everyone. They aren’t even synonyms. You’re talking about me twisting words and reading things into people’s comments and you pull that one out? Wow.
Wayno
Point to a statement of fact made by me that you would like me to prove, then tell me the acceptable parameters of “proof” as you see them. Then I’ll tell you if I can prove something.
Go ahread, free shot.
The majority of my comments have been in response to what other people wrote, not statements of fact.
Check my comment at 12:11 for further clarification.
So, please provide me with a statement of fact that I made, that you would like me to prove?
The one about human beings tendency to justify cruel and inhumane behavior? I can do that, but assumed that was common knowledge. Let me know if you need the “proof” on that one.
So, you said that there are racists who made The Decision about race, but you were upset that Lebron admitted that, and then said that race is a factor in everything because for you and your friends the Decision wasn’t about race?
Is that accurate?
And you know that race didn’t play a factor in their feelings because they didn’t tell you that it did, which is what you said earlier, correct?
Does this mean that you think all racial decisions happen on a conscious level?
Do you believe we’re always aware of the motivations behind our actions?
How much importance do you give the media and other information sources in shaping our thoughts on matters?
Are you aware of the Harvard studies on subsconscious racial bias, particularly the ones involving who people decide to shoot?
Did you know that in the 1960s, the majority of white people in America when responding to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor thought that discrimination was only a minor issue in the lives of black people and did not greatly impact their lot in life? This despite what we know acknowledge was widespread discrimination and injustice.
Are you aware of the studies that show that racial bias and disparities in hiring, medical care and education?
The disparities in the way sentences are handed down for similar crimes depending on the race of the offender and the race of the victim?
Have you heard of the missing white girl phenomenon?
Basically, how often and how deeply have you thought about your own racial attitudes and how they were shaped and how they influence your choices?
Have you seen some of the studies on the disparity between how objective people think they are, and how objective they really are?
I mean, I could go online, go back through some of the articles I’ve read and the books I’ve read in differnet places, Or you could take these questions and see if the material I’m referencing actually exists.
implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/background/index.jsp
The quote about objectivity was an opinion presented as a fact. Bad move on my part.
It was based anecdotal not empirical evidence and cannot be proven.
I still believe it, but I can’t prove that one.
So, you gonna address your comment about Lebron saying that “most” people’s reaction to The Decision was about race, or was that supposed to be what you did with that “always” and “everyone” comment?
_____________________________________________________
Sorry I missed it. I did read everyone of your comments too! Rush Bengston sighting…. That LeBron James… what a ball hog.
Any subject involving LBJ this summer has had 100+ comments. AWESOME, UPRECEDENTED!!!
LONG… LIVE… THE KING (I feel u Philo)
All we need now is a ring i june 2011. BOOK IT! (and I’m out).
What part of New Orleans you from and what high school you go to?
I’m grew up and live in the East. Went to 35.
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had he then he would be right there with you
I’m black and I hate when other black people pull the race card as an excuse for their actions or for why they are in trouble or why people hate them
has nothing to do with you skin color, its the plain fact that your an idiot and we dont like you for your actions or for you, whats wrong with that? some people do judge a man on his actions you know and not his skin color
and considering the NBA is perdominantly black, and alot of the fans of the game reflect that, not all but a good chunk, and they are calling you out and , also some notable black people of your sport are calling you out,so oh yeah its race
race BS, black people have enough problems linked to race as it is, this isnt one of them, now be a man and own up to your mistakes
I’ve been reading/posting to this site quite often, so here’s my two cents… LeBron James is a helluva a player. Period. I personally don’t care about the much barked “Decision”, because when that leather ball is thrown up who cares? He did things HIS way this summer, and now his feeling the HEAT for it. If he channel’s his energy to the right direction this season, people are gonna see the KING he claims to be.
The Miami Heat are gonna be scary good in the future(I prefer if my boy Kobe gets ring no:6 first!). Winning is everything, just ask Mr. Bryant.
He has now become the darling of the NBA(and the whole world), although things didn’t look that bright few years ago…He is back on that mountain top. I’m a fan of the game and the game itself, we are in the brink of hopefully the greatest season ever and I can’t wait it to start. Teams have made some bold moves, getting better, getting ready for the show! Now let’s see what the Lakers, Heat, Magic, Celtics, Hawks, Cavaliers, Bulls, Warriors, Raptors, Pacers, Kings, Clippers, Wizards, 76ers, Pistons, Nuggets, Mavericks, Rockets, Bucks, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Blazers, Hornets, Knicks, Nets, Bobcats, Thunder, Jazz has in store for us! Peace.
Agree with aspects of most posters here.
There is no doubt that
1. Race has played a role in how people/media have reacted.
2. Allen P uses detail well. Kudos.
3. Pretty much no one thinks the decision was a great way to announce
that you are leaving.
the disagreements occur only on the severity of the effect that race has played. If you believe that its larger than others, you are right. If you believe it is smaller than others, you are right. That’s the beauty of opinion: we live in a subjective world.
That’s what it all comes down to: everyone has been taught by someone who’s opinion and knowledge they trust, that the world is a certain way. They beleive that person. Then that belief determines how they view the events in the world, using them to support that view initially taught them by the afore-mentioned trusted advisor. As we mature, we learn that the world isn’t quite so simple and we allow other viewpoints into our thoughts, and we mold our opinions from there. this is true of ANY opinion, be it intelligent, ignorant, racist, anti-dentite, or whatever. Otherwise discussion would be useless.
What I don’t get is why so many people become defensive when a black man says that some white people are racist? He’s right, they are. If I’m white, does that mean he’s calling ME a racist? Certainly not – he’s simply sharing his view of the world, and it is in some respects true, perhaps in others not. But we all benefit from the sharing of it. Just for the record, I am white. I am not racist; and I think that many of the points discussed are certainly valid and deserve honest, thoughtful discussion.
…can’t we all just get along?
Now we can close the comments section.
so really the points here are:
a)your reaction to lebron’s decision is up to you but THE DECISION ALA ESPN AND MAVERICK CARTER AND THE CREW OF DUMB DUMBS WAS POORLY EXECUTED.
b)lebron was given a leading question which he answered (the question really was a no brainer and he could have responded better, articulated, or avoided it but it was unavoidable)which means he gave a response for the public to reflect on. his mistake is that his response is too vague left in the ether to be dissected, discussed, understood, and even the use of “sometimes” as a qualifier is just really a belated attempt to the specific.
what lebron should have done, if he was going to go there and answer the question and fully comitt to it was give his thoughts and his opinion. i mean that was really a one line response to a question that really deserves a nuanced answer, not a super nuanced, vague, unspecific response. but then he’s an athlete, you would say and this isn’t some sort of documentary or history show where he needs to spend hours explaining. but that’s just the thing. he lives his life. he is black. his ethnicity probably matters to him or else he wouldn’t have grown up how he did and made some of his decisions. lebron james has opinions about race, and sometimes he might let it be known, but most times he’s not someone you think in the sense of having a political standpoint about race or something that matters to him. if he was being asked a serious question, which he was, he should have given a serious response. what i’m saying is that lebron james should have been able to answer that question, right or wrong. what he did was leave a leading question with a wishy washy answer (infact i would have liked him to give reason to his answer is what i’m saying. whether that means he comes harder with his response, names people, puts specifics to his thoughts and ends up hurting some people–even his fans, then so be it, but at least then he is standing on his legs instead of as people are saying, throwing out the “token” race card. it’s understandable how people can see this and take his response all kinds of ways, but i think myles brown, allen p, russ bengston in the other thread about this, and some others make great points) when it would have behoved him to actually say what he really thought, what he really meant at that time, instead of giving a sort of quasi varnished, sealed, unfeeling, rational answer, but not rational enough eh because he really fell off leaving that response to just dangle there and die on the sword of ambiguity.
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