LeBron James in Deal With Fenway and a minority stake in Liverpool FC

"The first time I stepped on an NBA court I became a businessman," said Mr. James

That perfectly encapsulates so much of what is wrong with him

 

are you kidding me!?! NOOOOOOOO

seriously, of all the teams in the world...

 

He's right. All the NBA is is a business. Anyone who's forgotten this will be reminded once this season is over.

 

To make your main objective to be a great businessman is an insult to any fan of the NBA. You get paid millions of dollars every year to play basketball (endorsment deals too). Its a relatively recent notion that NBA players are trying to diversify themselves to be seen as entertainment icons rather than primarily basketball players.

 

Where has he said that being a great businessman is his MAIN objective? It's just part of who he is. Jordan was a businessman too. Are you trying to imply that he's not earning his contract? He's the best player in the sport!

Is he not allowed to focus on anything but basketball until he wins a title? Because I feel like that's where this conversation is going to end up.

 

How is it insulting? LeBron generates more money for his team and the league than he makes...a lot more. If his main focus is to make as much $$ as possible, just like the owners that profit off of him, then go right ahead.

 

lol @ him being a businessman being insulting. At the end of the day playing in the NBA is his job and him wanting to be a businessman has not prevented him from doing his job.

 

LeBron: That girl who has already picked names for each of her five children even before losing her virginity.

All Hail The No-Ring King!

 

Ugh why Liverpool?? What an awful team. Should have put your money with a winner like Man United.

 

Bravo buddy bravo, stacking paper and going overseas watching futball[sp] he invested in .. Not bad at all, no hate coming from me, can i borrow some money, LOL....

 

They all have to make their money and I respect that. But jordan, kobe didn't come out of the gate and say they want to be the first billionaire in sports. That is what lebron said initially, kobe and MJ in both their team intereviews said boldly that they want to be the greatest players in the league. They obviously are big marketing tools, but they are workaholic basketball junkies too, that is why kobe(despite less stats and getting older) still sold out last year in china and in jersey sales in the world, junkies like us relate to his crazy ass more than the freak athleticism of lebron(which is certainly the craziest athleticism in the league).

The way lebron has done things, he is a business man first, from his actions, then a ball player. Hell football was even his first love over hoops. So while he was switching season as a kid and being normal, kobe was in italy challenging brian shaw to a 1-1 as a 9 year old. He certainly has unlikeable qualities, but I respect kobe as a ball player mentality more than lebron

 

He's 26, and a far better player than Kobe was at the same age. He was also better than Kobe was at 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, and 19. You don't reach the level that he's gotten to without hard work.

Kobe's more media savvy. Frankly, he's really just smarter. But if we're talking about how "basketball junkies" view each player, when you watch the two on the court, who would you rather have as a teammate? Who looks like they'd be more fun to play with?

 

Probably Lebron, because Kobe would be on my ass all day long and it'd be annoying.

The difference between Kobe and Lebron is, both are douchebags, but Kobe knows that and embraces that role. Lebron acts like he has done nothing wrong ever, he always acts like the world owes him, and really shows how immature he is.

 

I'm still in shock...

But maybe there is some good to this. Maybe L'pool can tap into the American market with LerBon. Generate more $$$ to buy some much needed defenders.

I say get LerBon some kits and play him at the LB. He'll also help with winning headers since he's like 9 feet taller than anyone on the field.

 

Except we don't know either player personally. We don't see them in practice or working out. In terms of their respective personalities and work ethics, we only know what they show us, and what the media chooses to portray. What we think we know is really just a guess.

The real difference, one that can actually be observed, is that LeBron, at this point in his career, is better at basketball. People in the Jordan v. Kobe threads are saying things like, "Kobe has more 'basketball skills', but Jordan was a significantly better athlete."

Well, Kobe may be more skilled than LeBron, but LeBron's bigger, faster, stronger and more athletic. He's just a better player right now, even if Kobe takes 500 more jumpers in practice and is "the game's best closer™". LeBron's also 26. When Kobe was 26 he was forcing management to trade the league's most dominant player, when Michael was 26 he was losing to the Pistons in the ECFs every year.

So many people have already given up on LeBron, and it's kind of sad to see. I'll stick to what I said when he went to Miami: If he had stayed in Cleveland, without the extra help, it would have forced him to improve his jumper and post-up game, which would have taken his game to the next level. But based on this season it looks like he's markedly improved his jumper anyway. The low post game is next, but even with Wade & Bosh, he's improved on his game more than I expected. Give him time.

 

He's vying for basketball immortality. You can get that from being a great player and a being a marketable athlete. Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant. Now, LeBron James.

 

I think the players who goto battle for and against in the si players poll and even gms constnatly voted to respect kobe more, for skill. he obviously is a scorer and a pure one so although he does everything, that is his bread and butter and his passing is secondary(although he is skilled at that too, he has lead the lakers in assists quite a few years)

you can't compare statistics to say better is better. Lebron ran a free flow drive and dish offense that will inflate all his numbers and goto his powers which was great for his stats. Kobe played in an equal opportunity triangle which minimizes assists(even MJ who averaged 8+ assists never averaged about 7 in this offense). Its just a different system which leads to different stats, so It is still debatable who is better.

Lebron was supposed to be great because he took a not indivudally talented team far in the cavs, fact is, basketball is about cohesiveness one way or another and that team was built to compliment his powers. They said if he had better teammates they would dominate the league and he would average a triple double. So when his points went down this year, that is a gieven, but his assist, steals, fg percentage, turnovers all took a turn for the worst with the 2 other superstars? Something might not add up.

There is no doubt he is a special talent with unique athleticism, but if you are asking who would I have more fun playing with ? I equate fun to winning, there i s no better fun for me. So while lebron is a freakish circus athletic monster who is a site to be seen and train when he drives, I just take kobe's dedication and winning. He is older and has lost a step, I still trust the team and 30 million in his hands more than lebron and his businessman anthics. I think he is a celebrity business man first and then a ballplayer(still a force to be reckon with on the court nonetheless). But even sasha vuijaci said it was interesting before he had a contract with the lakers he asked kobe to work out with him, no remember one guy is fighting for a spot and contract, the other guy is a franchise player making 20 million and has no worries, yet he said kobe had 8 hour intense off season workouts and the guy is just scary competitive. Is it well regarded in the media? sure, but the players and coaches vouch for his work ethic and that is what matters.

So I'd rather play with the winner tahn the guy lebron who although he passes and loves those statistics so he can talk about himself in 3rd person afterward. He is also quoted syaying you can put any 5 guys around me and ill give them a chance to win(I wonder how his cavs teammates felt after he said this, while in a press conference during the season basically telling his teammates you guys are all interchangable), what about when he started marketing his 2010 free agency in 2008 for 2 years saying to mark your calendars while he was in contract with the cavs and with the other players and left without even telling any of his so call brothers from the cavs.Are you sure this guy is the ideal teammate and not just media savy on creating his image too?

 

To me, guys like Kobe and MJ are straight cold hard cash. LeBron is a credit card. And I deal in cash more than plastic, because I'm true and from the hood. It's gangster, not fake showy dowy David Blaine doing it for the camera's type credit card ****.

 

Why do every LerBon thread have to turn into a Kobe comparison?

Everyone has differing opinions. One side isn't going to convince the other side otherwise.