I said he deserves criticism. Does he deserve more than Mendenhall from the Steelers? Kenny Britt? Tiger?

 

We laugh off and make jokes about Tiger and all of his women yet we still root for him to be good at golf. I think he deserves much more hatred and criticism than a guy who did what LBJ did. Mendenhall tweets about how much money he has and how many ladies he's slept with? I'd say that's worse. All kinds of athletes getting arrested yet we give them the 2nd chance and forget they are criminals. 4 takes a pic of his package and tweets it to a female who is not his wife. We laugh that off as boys being boys.

 

LBJ has hubris and we take him to the woodshed and the Governor issues a proclamation celebrating LBJ's team losing. We've lost all perspective.

 

I brought up this same argument weeks ago. I completely understand what you are saying. Never broke any laws but probably hated more than Michael Vick.

 

There is no explanation for it. He is the most well known tool in the world. It is what it is.

You have to wonder how much pressure that added to LeBron James. All of that talk came post-Eastern Conference finals and it was never refuted by James. Think about it, you just dominate the Eastern conference and the greatest player ever's running mate puts you on a pedestal to live up to. To begin validating you MUST be big time in the Finals.

 

As I said last week, I expected James to get out of his funk but nothing in his (especially recent) history has shown he is ready to take on that kind of a pressure cooker.

 

I think Scottie Pippen has some resentment toward MJ. He seems to try to cut him down just a little any time he's given the opportunity. Pippen was a great player, one of my all-time favorites, and I think he knows the game about as good as any former players you hear talk. But, if MJ is involved in the discussion, I take his words with a grain of salt, because I sense there's something personal there that influences Pippen's words. I don't know if he has something against Jordan, or if he resents having that shadow cast over his career. Either way, that's the impression I get.

I just don't think the American public today cares for arrogance as much and LeBron comes across as extremely arrogant.

 

If he were winning it likely be excused......

I do think this thread is interesting and raises the question: What if anything can LeBron do to ever be known as the greatest player ever?

 

Is it even possible now? Did he forfeit that chance when he opted to leave for Miami? Does the loss to the Mavs put the nail in the coffin in this debate? Does he have to surpass Jordan in titles (best case scenario that would put him in his 16th NBA season... wow!).

 

As I said when it happened, I think he forfeited the chance when he went to Miami. Perhaps it would be possible if Miami went on an amazing run of successive titles, like 8 or 9, with Lebron the undisputed leader and closer during that run. But, I doubt that happens.

My thoughts exactly. He's got to pass Kobe before he's even considered to be compared to MJ and I'm not sure that will even happen.

 

I think he has more than Kobe to pass at this point. Which brings up an interesting question...where would you rate Lebron right now?

I just don't think the American public today cares for arrogance as much and LeBron comes across as extremely arrogant.

 

If that is the case then the American public hates all professional athletes or the American public hasn't been paying attention. Seriously, more people dislike Lebron than Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress...heck, even Rae Carruth.

Because he has put himself on an unprecedented level. He's the King. He took his talents to south beach to win 10 titles. He's the best player in the league. He didn't get it done and folded when it mattered.

 

So we're going to absolutely kill a guy who has an ego? He's unique in that regard? Do we kill guys who claim at their championship victory party that they will win it again next year? He got caught up in the moment of a big raucous crowd in his new hometown. It lacked humility...like a lot of things in sports today. Who made him the King? We did. We as a sports nation fawned over him since he was 16. Now we expect him to act like Brian Cardinal? Come on. You can't build him up and then tear him down because his ego is inflated.

 

This whole sitch is an ugly commentary on us sports fans and human nature.

I do think this thread is interesting and raises the question: What if anything can LeBron do to ever be known as the greatest player ever?

 

Is it even possible now? Did he forfeit that chance when he opted to leave for Miami? Does the loss to the Mavs put the nail in the coffin in this debate? Does he have to surpass Jordan in titles (best case scenario that would put him in his 16th NBA season... wow!).

 

Well, it seems like he would have to win 10 more scoring titles (he has just one to MJ's 10) and seven championships, surpassing MJ, to make up for two finals losses. That would be a good start.

Of all the comments of Lebron that hints at his arrogance, is his tweet that refers to God as "the greater man upstairs" at the top of the list? :lol:

 

I don't think I've ever heard God referred to as the "greater man upstairs".

 

Or, perhaps that is a rare show of humility from Lebron, admitting that there is one greater than he.

So we're going to absolutely kill a guy who has an ego? He's unique in that regard? Do we kill guys who claim at their championship victory party that they will win it again next year? He got caught up in the moment of a big raucous crowd in his new hometown. It lacked humility...like a lot of things in sports today. Who made him the King? We did. We as a sports nation fawned over him since he was 16. Now we expect him to act like Brian Cardinal? Come on. You can't build him up and then tear him down because his ego is inflated.

 

This whole sitch is an ugly commentary on us sports fans and human nature.

 

We have built up countless athletes in the past and they never acted like Lebron has. How many guys have done "The Decision" or said they were going to win whatever # of titles before playing a single game on a team during a rally or whatever you want to call it before the season. He has Chosen1 tattooed on himself so it's not like this is our fault for jumping on the bandwagon thinking he could be the greatest player ever. It's not always about what he says it's about how he says it. Lots of guys and superstars have huge egos but a lot of them are able to control it to a tolerable degree. I don't "hate" Lebron James. He hasn't done anything to hurt me and my family. I don't know why everyone keeps throwing out that word. I just don't like him that is all. This is what makes sports great. This is why it is entertaining. We don't want that guy and/or his team to win. If no one had opinions or feelings about sports players it wouldn't be much fun other than when your team was in the Finals. He put himself on another level and he has failed to meet the expectations and people are teeing off on him for it. I don't see the ugly commentary on us sports fans and human nature. At the end of the day it doesn't matter much who won or lost but it is nice to see the nice guy finish first.

Edited June 14, 201115 yr by HammerTime

Of all the comments of Lebron that hints at his arrogance, is his tweet that refers to God as "the greater man upstairs" at the top of the list? :lol:

 

I don't think I've ever heard God referred to as the "greater man upstairs".

 

Just slightly above him. :lol:

So we're going to absolutely kill a guy who has an ego? He's unique in that regard? Do we kill guys who claim at their championship victory party that they will win it again next year? He got caught up in the moment of a big raucous crowd in his new hometown. It lacked humility...like a lot of things in sports today. Who made him the King? We did. We as a sports nation fawned over him since he was 16. Now we expect him to act like Brian Cardinal? Come on. You can't build him up and then tear him down because his ego is inflated.

 

This whole sitch is an ugly commentary on us sports fans and human nature.

 

The problem, as I've noted, is he's done nothing to back up that ego and arrogance, save for a few breathtaking plays during the regular season.

The problem, as I've noted, is he's done nothing to back up that ego and arrogance, save for a few breathtaking plays during the regular season.

 

So there's a debate about him being the GOAT, a debate that he did NOT start mind you, and he hasn't done anything?

 

The people of the opinion that you have accomplished nothing until you win a title, in a team sport, make me laugh.

 

I think this finals showed championships aren't won with one person. Dirk couldn't do it himself either. Neither could Michael, Magic, Kobe, Wade, Shaq, and so on, and so on.

The problem, as I've noted, is he's done nothing to back up that ego and arrogance, save for a few breathtaking plays during the regular season.

 

To be fair, he's had some memorable post-season games and moments as well. But, to date, they always end up tainted, or overshadowed, but ultimately failing in the playoffs.

 

I think the '08 playoffs game seven against Boston is representative of Lebron's playoff career. In that game he went toe-to-toe with Paul Pierce, posting 45 points and keeping Cleveland in the game, yet if memory serves me correctly, he missed a crucial FT late in the game, and missed a little runner (almost a layup) from about 3-4 feet out that killed the Cavs chances.

 

That performance against Detroit when he scored like 25-30 straight points was amazing. And, he was a closer in this playoffs until the finals.