[ESPN]LeBron skips out on reporters after Game 6 loss

I'm fine with players not wanting to talk to the media right after a big loss. It's understandable and preferable to them giving half-hearted comments about what went wrong. Not every moment has to be available for media consumption.

On the other hand, not taking time to shake hands with and congratulate the winning side is just a sign of poor sportsmanship.

 

Don't really care about any of this, but simply walking off the court was a much more theatrical ending than any press conference would have been. Whatever Lebron.

 

The guy is 24 so he is a long way away from missing his Championship window so let's stop comparing him to past underachievers/failures. He seems like a nice guy and hard worker. It's almost impossible to find anyone who dislikes him or questions how he treats those around him.

The problem I see is a lack of maturity. His pre-game antics and his constant posturing for the crowd throughout games is something I thought was unnecessary and in the world of pro sports (and life) is something that usually comes back to bite you.

Not shaking hands with the guys that just beat you does not bother me one bit. I would not do it either. Skipping the media is inexcusable. It's part of the job and he needs to do it. What makes matters worse (here comes the karma part) is that he can't seem to get enough media attention when things are going great so when he can't man up and do his job it makes him look like a immature kid, a sore loser and very unprofessional.

He can't have it both ways.

 

"had to do". right. In my opinion that was the problem.
He "did" too much through playoffs instead on putting fair load on temates (as Kobe is doing) and reather loose some games and try to get team going.
And now when everybody went cold playing the same style as they did through entire playoffs, he really "had to do" as much. He displayed a perfect choke job instead..
Of course, It's easy to be general when the battles are over, but the greatest choke job displayed was by their coach.

 

His teammates should be DESERTED to answer for themselves? Throw them under the bus today, act like they're beneath you later. Good forward thinking I'm sure will really go over well with his teammates when they still have to play with each other next season.

Kobe and life adversity? We probably have different definitions of that. His own ego brought about any adversity that coddled b*stard from birth had to endure. Plus he'd rather quit DURING game 7 against Phoenix and talk about it afterward. He's had some basketball challenges in front of him for sure. But I'm sure Artest and McGrady really sympathize with his life adversity...

 

If Lebron is the great talent that carries nobodies into title consideration, that logic could be applied to him going to the Knicks. Or wherever Lebron goes another All Star talent will naturally follow him there. If its Lebron only to the Knicks it'd be a half to full year of crazy hype. Then bottom out when Lebron can barely get them into the 2nd round. Lebron can choose high profile + wins. I dont think he'd go to Milwaukee if they were somehow 1 piece away. So its Cleveland, NY, LA, or Houston.

 

Seems to me that all past legends of the game were all on just the one team their whole career (MJ's flirt with the Wizards notwithstanding)... If Lebron was to desert the Cavs for another start somewhere else, I would view it as copping out, and it would cast him in a lesser light forever. MJ stuck with Chicago through all those horrible early years, and look at the glory he reaped later on. Lebron should take a leaf out of MJ's book and stick with the city that's shown him so much love, and give the city a championship, no matter how long it takes.

 

Im sure LB losses sleep over what you think. Changing teams is part of the business.

 

It's all coaching

It's not so much about Mike Brown vs SVG, but it's just Mike Brown DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AT ALL

 

whats with ESPN talking this crap up? seriously mike and mike this morning spent the majority of their time harping on this. this isnt that big of a deal. yea mention it in a segment or two...but the majority of a 4 hr radio show talking about how lebron didnt shake hands..come on. i dont care how slow of a day it is...talk about baseball more or something

 

To be fair, if the media spent hours and hours of talking about how great of a player Lebron is (and he is), I think it's fair game to talk about his short-comings. As much as I dislike Kobe, he has LeBron beaten in this part of the game.

 

That's BULL CRAP.

Are you saying that all the 2009 Houston Rockets shaking the hands of the Lakers after losing to them, smiles on their faces, wishing them well, etc., are not competitors?!?!?!?!? F you, LeBron. Nice example for the kids, you ahole.

"I'm a winner"!?!?!?!? You just lost, and THEN you lost again by not showing respect to someone who just handed you a loss.

That doesn't make you a competitor... it makes you a sore loser. IMMATURE Punk.

 

I hate to agree with Swoly's anger filled post but that is a weak response.

 

while I happily agree with Swoly's anger filled post.

The first thing I thought of was kids shaking hands after a baseball game. I hope those kids never hear of this. And if they do, I hope they consider it poor sportsmanship.

 

Lebron should have owned up to his NBA obligations. And he should have shook hands out of sportsmanship and respect to the game.

 

pgabriel, Raccoon, your comments and support of my post above made me create this, also in anger :

 

Wilt started with the Philadelphia Warriors. He won the MVP there. When they moved to San Francisco, he went to the 76ers and won a championship there. Then he won a championship with the Lakers.

Kareem started with the Bucks and won an MVP there. He also won a championship there. Then he moved to the Lakers and won a few more championships.

Oscar Robertson started in Cincinnati and won an MVP there. He went to the Bucks and won his championship with them.

Shaq started with Orlando. He went to LA and won his MVPs and some championships there. Then he went to Miami and won a championship there.

Bill Walton won his MVP and first championship with Portland. Then after some time in Clipperhell, he went to Boston and won another.

If the only people who count as past legends are Bird, Magic, Jordan, and maybe Bill Russell, then you are right. Even Hakeem didn't close out his career with a single team.

 

Magic is 2:0 this season again the same Lakers....not so soon

 

As I said in the Lebron Hate thread I don't hate him and think he's a good player, even if I am sick of the hype, but this was terrible sportmanship and no class on the part of King James. If he wants to be a superstar and a billionaire with appeal far beyond basketball having some class is part of that. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Payton Manning are all great competitors but also carry themselves well.

Even Michael Jordan shook hands with the Pistons after a very hard fought and bitter series in 1990 and no one questions Jordan's competitiveness. Lebron has a way to go, besides just the championships, to take up Jordan's mantle.

 

Agreed, Lebron makes it out to where he's too good to congradulate anyone. He could have saved himself the next day by congratulating the Magic, but no he comes out and says he's a winner. With that attitude, I hope he never wins