The Official In Defense of King James thread

[NYCelt]

IN DEFENSE OF KING JAMES

(Well, kind of...)

For all the heat he takes here and elsewhere I'm not sure Lebron James is all that bad for the game. He may not even have been that self absorbed to start with.

When you look at the adulation being heaped at his feet it's not hard to imagine the mental process; if you're told enough times that you're the second coming you start to believe you can get in the boat without a life jacket. Unfortunately it's not a far leap from there to where you find yourself taking liberty with your marital vows with a European supermodel in favor of the bimbo of the month club or looking into a television camera debating what the meaning of the word "is" is.

The guy hasn't been found armed to the teeth in the locker room or on the highway. The powder he slaps into the air before games is the standard rosin/talc mix, not airborne nose-candy that he lavishes on the adoring masses as he says "let them snort coke". In other words he seems to be above the drug fray and hasn't yet elevated his royal status quite to that of Marie Antoinette (although it was actually Marie-Therese the wife of Louis XIV that first said "Let them eat cake", not Queen Marie Antoinette, but I digress) He seems to be a good dad to his two kids, gives freely to various causes and although he has had occasion to tell mama to sit her a** down he seems respectful of her even after she repeatedly embarrasses him.

He is truly one of the most gifted individual players the game has seen. Yes I know it's a team game and we stress that especially in Boston. Despite that there will always be room to point to the best and perhaps in some pseudo socio-political way there need to be individual bests before we disintegrate into the collective huddled grey mass a la Rollerball (a 1975 futuristic film about individualism for the unaware). Instead of the crowd chanting John-a-than, John-a-than as James Caan circles the track while Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor plays in the background they're chanting Le-Bron, Le-Bron as he drives and dunks over helpless one-dimensional defenders. Even in the team oriented NBA there needs to be a benchmark.

Look, the guy has stated pursuits in life that go well beyond basketball, some of them are self-centered but others seem praise-worthy. Who can blame him for using his talent within the game as leverage to get there.

If those who make a buck from putting him high atop a granite pedestal cause him to eventually say "it's easier for you all to kiss my feet while I'm up here" {not what you thought I was about to write, was it?} I suppose we have to expect the posturing was coming and just ignore it...

...especially if you're part of the contingent from the team that dismissed him from his last crusade/playoff run to immortality.

If they hand you a microphone at the party, you're probably going to sing. If you're off key everyone will ignore you.

The Celtics, and their fans, have especially earned the right to ignore this over-hyped act with its increasingly mis-directed looking star even if the reasons for LeBron thinking he is The Real King James are kind of understandable, if not somewhat pathetic.

Still, having a big star here and there puts fannies in the seats and lets kids dream they’re the next big thing while they shoot hoops in the driveway with their friends; 'Bird from the corner, he shoots, the buzzer goes off, it's good! Aw mom, do I hafta come in now?'

Just sayin'.

[jeb]

nyc

well said as usual. I think the thing that freaks me out is how his game has suffered and declined. I loved the unselfish floor game he exhibited his first 3 years. I was a big fan. I guess having worked so much in hollyweird and seeing th effect toadies and coatail riders have on people versus people who are smart and secure enough to keep old friends and family in their life who will tell them loud when they are drifting high in the turns.

The whole thing gives me the creeps.

I hope it gets better for the kid but he has the wrong bunch all over his ear and he is screaming fast down a one way street. Thats my two cents.

jeb

[babyskyhook]

Fellas-

besides the fact that I think Lebron is a total douche, (a one hour tv show to announce where he's going- are you kidding me ?), I think Jeb has a point about who he surounds himself with.

And Jeb is right that the way to keep it real in Hollywood is to keep your inner circle populated with the people you knew from before you "made it".

Lebron's problem in this regard is that the toadies and coattail riders in his life ARE his high school buddies. Bad combination.

[NYCelt]

BSH,

My understanding is the hour long show and press conference were at the request of James' representatives. I think it was AP that reported that.

Without offending James intelligence, or underestimating his ego, I doubt he would have come up with the idea. The agencies representing these high profile athletes are publicity machines.

I do think overall the argument is strong that he's good for the game and is one of the two most talented individual players. I won't argue, however, that he's going to need a bigger crown to fit his swelling head as I alluded to in my original post.

I also think both you and Jeb may very well be proven right that James is surrounded by the wrong people.

Regards

[NYCelt]

I hope it gets better for the kid but he has the wrong bunch all over his ear and he is screaming fast down a one way street. Thats my two cents.

jeb

Jeb,

You still come up with the best lines of anyone here and in this case, sadly, you are probably correct.

Regards

[jeb]

nyc

I would god as my witness very much like to be wrong. I admire that you give the kid the benefit of the doubt against great resistance here at sam's.

He is still very young. But right now the dark side has him by the short and curlies.

I think it's new york then he gets to hang with jayz and do hot tubs with the russian. Sad but true.

Slow down kid...get a few real people in your life and listen when they tell you no. Listen good.

Jeb

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