Stop making things so personal.
by Drey Wingate / @ProStatus85
I really hope people can see just how out of hand this whole LeBron James is getting.
It would really be great if LeBron could read this himself. After checking out my timeline on Twitter a few days ago, I came across a tweet that Lakers forward Matt Barnes sent to LeBron. Matt told LeBron to embrace the hatred and to remember that the same people talking down about him would trade places with him in a second. You know as well as I do that he’s right.
When the people who used to love you suddenly hate you because of something you did to benefit yourself, chances are they never really cared for you in the first place. Since it seems like nobody wants to look at things from another of view, then I guess I will give my thoughts on the topic. I’m “Technically Speaking,” of course. So LeBron, if you’re reading this, I hope it reaches you in a positive way, homie.
The Decision came and went. It rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, especially the basketball fans of Cleveland. True, it was a little over the top for a free agent to announce what team he was going to sign with. The only time you see anticipation like that is when the top high school player in the country announces where he is attending college in the fall.
What if the whole decision segment never happened? What if LeBron would have went anywhere else other than Miami? Would he still be getting the same hate, scrutiny and negative feedback from the media and the public? Of course not.
Keep in mind that when a player becomes a free agent he has the right to go wherever he damn well pleases. As much as I love the game, I also have to remember that it is indeed a business, and when it comes down to it, you can’t please everybody.
LeBron James did what he felt was the best situation for him. The hype and the publicity disappointed a lot of people, but his job is to perform at a high level as an athlete, not to consult with outsiders about where he should play. We can’t change what happened and how things were done, and LeBron is not the first franchise player to leave his original team with hopes of earning a ring sooner than later. Many well known players did it before him and nobody said anything.
On the real, after all the drama and disappointments, how many people were really expecting LeBron to return as a Cavalier? People kept talking about how he was being disloyal and betraying the people who believed in him. Before 2003 who even believed in Cleveland as a franchise? If seven years of outstanding play isn’t loyalty then I don’t know what is.
During his time there, the Cavs had the best record in the League two seasons in a row, constant sold-out crowds, consecutive Playoff appearances, and most importantly very satisfied fans who hadn’t been that happy since the Mark Price days. I think it was very sad to see people react they way they did after LeBron left. The burning of his jerseys, the custom-made cars with negative sayings, all of the internet spoofs and the “Quietness” tees was just completely over the top. I know in this country we all enjoy our freedom of expression, but it seems like we allow that right to over shadow our common sense.
LeBron James is human and is definitely not perfect in any matter, but let’s look at a few things—Has he ever been arrested? Has he ever been caught up in anything that caused conflict among his team? Is he known for being a dirty player or acting in a disrespectful manner? It’s not right for LeBron to be catching this type of hell just because he decided to play for another team.
I understand that fans have feelings and they don’t want to see their hero leave, but that doesn’t give people, especially the media, to act and say things the way they do. Then of course it is a job for those involved with the media to find bad things about people no matter who they are.
I agree with everyone else about the comments LeBron made after the Finals being inappropriate, but everyone has a limit. How much do you expect for one man to take? There is huge difference between hate and dislike, and it seems to me that people actually hate LeBron James. And for what? Because he changed uniforms? Seriously? If you hate the man that much then stop tuning in when Miami is playing. Stop buying his apparel. Stop paying for tickets to go watch his team play. Stop making him the main topic in every basketball related conversation you have with someone.
I’m not trying to get anybody to change how they may feel about him, but keep in mind that what he does with his career shouldn’t determine how you act as a person. What’s done is done and life goes on. The Dallas Mavericks deserved to win the chip this year, but even after it was over, who was everybody STILL talking about? My point exactly. People are saying that LeBron quit in the last two games of the series. Why would he quit after dealing with a season full of slander and people saying that he, Bosh and Wade would never work?
LeBron went from being the option in Cleveland to being an option in Miami. There is a difference between the two. I give him a lot of credit and respect for not trying to take over every single game. Since when did it become a crime for great players to keep their teammates involved? When you have players like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller on the floor with you, it doesn’t become mandatory for you to shoot as many shots and score as many points. Any of these guys can drop 20+ on any given night. Any one player can produce statistics that will make them an All-Star every year, but it takes a well-balanced team to win a championship. It’s not about who is on the team, but what is within the team. Looking at the assists LeBron has accumulated over the course of his career it’s a no brainer that he is indeed a team-oriented type of player.
Let’s stop making things so personal and get back to the enjoyment of the game. Basketball seems to be turning into a soap opera rather than the world’s most entertaining sport. Leave LeBron James alone and allow him to continue to entertain fans the way he has been since his days back in high school.
You may not like what he did but I’m sure you’re looking forward to another exciting NBA season and more LeBron James highlights.
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