HEAT/Spurs Game 7

[Spider-Dan]

It's such sour grapes.

The reason that he's hated is because he had a press conference (FOR CHARITY!).

Get. The. Fuck. Out.

You Heat fans need to stop with this apologist But It Was For Charity! nonsense.  It was a public shaming of the Cavaliers, and the fact that ESPN supposedly donated the advertising dollars To Charity* doesn't change that.

Not that you should need this explained, but it wasn't the fact that LBJ left Cleveland that was the problem.  Athletes do that all the time; it's a business.  It's the fact that he had an unprecedented television show to humiliate the Cavaliers.  And "humiliate" is the right word; if he seriously thought that a television special was the best way to announce anything but his decision to stay with Cleveland, then he's not only tone deaf, but poorly advised.

*I wonder how much of their cable-subscription fees ESPN donated to charity?  Best not to think about that, I suppose.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ So you hate LeBron because he was poorly advised...got it.

Still lame, but I understand the source of the lameness now.

[Spider-Dan]

Do you honestly believe LBJ would be able to penetrate and score with guys like Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, or Patrick Ewing in the paint?  Get real.  They would swat him down like a bug.

You are aware that there are many other non-Jordan players that were able to score with those players patrolling the key, right?

You mean to tell me that Tom Chambers, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, 'Nique, and Mitch Richmond were all able to score 25+ PPG over an entire season with these defensive monsters on the court, yet LBJ would somehow become a mewling infant?

[Spider-Dan]

So you hate LeBron because he was poorly advised...got it.

Being poorly advised isn't really that significant if a person has, you know, good judgment.

LeBron made a dumb choice to go through with that TV special and deserves criticism for that alone.  But the fact that not only did he decide to make that special, but that he also chose to surround himself with advisers who apparently all thought it was a good idea is another strike on him.  Someone in his inner circle should have told him that this is a potential train wreck and that the "charity!" excuse would not work.

[bsmooth]

^^^ How did he "fuck the Cavaliers and their fans?" By leaving via free agency? Or by giving them seven of the best seasons that their franchise has ever had?

As for The Decision, LeBron wasn't even in the building when Jim Gray came up with the idea and pitched it to the CEO of James' marketing company and a talent scout named Ari Emanuel. Unless you're claiming ego by proxy or something...

He also didn't give himself the nickname "King James." It came either from his HS teammates or the HS basketball announcers, depending on which reports you believe.

I'm summing up your post as "Haters really hate being called haters."

How about the fact he waited so long to make his announcement that other top free agents had already signed. He knew he was not coming back, he should have announced day one that he was not coming back to Cleveland so they could have gone after the best free agents left from the beginning.
That is not professional, that is childish revenge.
He could have said no to the show, and just made his announcement. That is what a professional does. A narcissist wants the biggest amount of attention period.
One could say that Shaq's decision to go to the Lakers was just as big then as LeBron going to Miami. Yet there was no need for an ESPN show to announce it, and Shaq has a pretty damn big ego and thrives for attention.
Once again I will point out that at no time have I said a word about LeBron's abilities as a player. He is a phenomenal  talent, and will be a first ballot HoFer.
That being said he has made less than stellar publicity decisions off the court. I do not hate the man, but I do not worship him like all the homers posting on the internet, but I do recognize and respect his play on the court.
I can separate his on court and off court behavior....why can those who keep tossing around the word "hater" so much not do the same.

p.s. ESPN is a joke. This whole Decision show is just another example of how far from their roots they have gotten.

[Pappy13]

Being poorly advised isn't really that significant if a person has, you know, good judgment.

LeBron made a dumb choice to go through with that TV special and deserves criticism for that alone.  But the fact that not only did he decide to make that special, but that he also chose to surround himself with advisers who apparently all thought it was a good idea is another strike on him.  Someone in his inner circle should have told him that this is a potential train wreck and that the "charity!" excuse would not work.

My only thought would be that it's possible his advisors all thought he was going to announce that he was going to stay in Cleveland. They still probably should have anticipated that he could go the other way and that wouldn't go over well in Cleveland at the very least, but I can see it if they thought he was going to stay. At the time I remember thinking "Surely he wouldn't do this if he was leaving so he MUST be staying." You can imagine my surprise.

[Phishfan]

^^^ I think anyone who watched him pull off the Cleveland jersey like he did when he left the court after his last game had a pretty good idea he was gone. I at least thought so.

[Brian Fein]

^^ I think everyone thought so.  It was obvious.  At no time did Cleveland ever have a shot at re-signing him.

[Thundergod]

Realistically, what did LeBron do to deserve all the hate?  People mad about the LeBron-a-thon thing on ESPN from 3 years ago?  Still?  Really?  Or people mad that he wanted to go to a team where his buddy was playing?

Is that really deserving?

Is he a drug dealer?  Does he run a dog-fighting ring?  Does he go kicking people's dogs or punching babies?  Or you just hate him because he's a great player and doesn't play for your favorite team?

I just don't understand all the LeBron hate.  If you live in Cleveland, fine.  Then I get it.  But most people hating on him (and the Heat as a whole) just because, and can't even explain why.

Thank you.

Meanwhile, assholes like Dwight Howard happen. And not one peep.   

Poor Orlando fans. First Shaq, then Howard. Time to crucify them for bolting on their teams. And in one case, getting people FIRED.

[Spider-Dan]

Did Shaq or Howard have a TV special to announce to everyone that they were ditching Orlando?
No?
Then there's your answer.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ Got it... At the top of your "Unpardonable Sins" list is "taking bad advice regarding the best way for a superstar to handle free agency."

Ridiculousness, thy name is Spidey...

[phinphan]

Well you know what they say if you cant stand the heat get out of the nba er ah kitchen.

[Spider-Dan]

What's this "unpardonable sins" stuff?  I've been one of the biggest defenders of LBJ on this board.

But for all these Heat fans to endlessly whine about how they can't understand why everyone is always so mean to LeBron is silly.  As I see it, the criticism that LBJ receives for his on-court play is unwarranted, but the criticism that he takes for his off-court actions is.

And why do you keep trying to push the TV show off as "bad advice"?  Does the man bear no responsibility for his own actions?

[Phishfan]

Thank you.

Meanwhile, assholes like Dwight Howard happen. And not one peep.   

Poor Orlando fans. First Shaq, then Howard. Time to crucify them for bolting on their teams. And in one case, getting people FIRED.

Howard has been criticized mercilessly around here.

[Sunstroke]

And why do you keep trying to push the TV show off as "bad advice"?  Does the man bear no responsibility for his own actions?

Of course he does and because it was...in reverse order.