LeBron is up there as one of the most hated sports athletes in America. But I ponder on how it would turn out had he gone to another team? He'd still be hated in Cleveland, sure. But I still think America wouldn't have hate him as much had he gone to New York or Chicago. He would have been the "it" guy in either of those cities. It would have been LeBron's team even if he went to Chicago with Rose, and those guys. If he had gone to New York, he'd still be the "it" guy and pared with Amare Stoudemire, and sure enough he would be loved in New York. I honestly wouldn't have disliked him had he gone to those cities, even though I preferred he stayed in Cleveland. Do YOU think LeBron would still be respected if he didn't go to Miami but didn't stay in Cleveland?
It's not where he went, it's how he did it. I think the big part of it is the debate that he ran for the shelter of fellow superstar(s). He definitely did it in the most dramatic fashion possible (2 prime frat buddies + 1 hour TV special). If he had quietly joined Chicago / Houston / Dallas / Utah / etc I don't think he'd be getting the same amount of hate.
LeBron is a douchebag for having a prissy reality television show to make his dumb ass decision to leave his hometown without notifying his former employer that he is quitting on them until a minute before his MTV type show aired.
Let me rephrase the question. Would you still respect LeBron had he not gone to Miami or stayed in Cleveland AND not pair up with Wade and Bosh with the 1-hour special?
Yeah.. people were willing to overlook the dancing, non hand-shaking, and general immaturity until he put this nice cherry on top. I would respect him more, yes.
If he joined Bulls or Knicks without the show, it would be OK for me. And I won't discount any championship should he win one there. Riding coat tail in a stacked team, however, should be recognized as willing to be a sidekick. The "decision" made him a clown.
I think part of it is that he joined Wade and Bosh in Miami, but I think other major parts are that he didn't inform the Cavaliers of his decision beforehand, and that he made a huge spectacle of his decision, if he had simply told the Cavs he was going to Miami, gave a speech thanking Cleveland fans and the organization for their support etc., he would look a lot better around the country, and it would sting less in Cleveland.
joining a depleted team who hasn't won a playoff series in 5 or so years is far from joining a staked or proven team. Many people are mad because he joins a team and they are automatically the favorites. Even karl malone is joining in now on the hate, saying he's not into that, meaning the tv show. No malone is more into fathering a dozen children and abandoning them. anyone that hates on for anything more than doing that tv show has hated him long before he left cleaveland.
I have lost respect for him for a while now, ever since he started his stupid antics. I put half of the blame on Sperm and the Media for babying him since way before he even joined the NBA, with all the unnecessary rule changes and penis riding. I would hate him less though had he stayed in Cleveland because that means there probably wouldn't be a 1 hour special. The respect has been lost a long time ago.
I would respect LeBron if he just grew up. He's a kid. There is no denying that. Kobe was lucky, he had an organization that needed wins and a very structured coach who wouldn't take his crap. That team has done their best to keep Kobe in check. That's why Kobe doesn't pull the theatrics LeBron does. Cleveland let him be a child and the coaching staff coddled him. It was never where he left, it was always how he has this cult of personality that follows him. Look, if the Super Friends united in Cleveland I would still be disappointed in LeBron for going on ESPN, for teasing NY fans, for teasing Bulls fans. That is straight up immature. Act quietly and under the cloak of privacy. If you are disingenuous, or at least perceived to be so, people will not like you regardless of your intentions.
....when your anointed as the "king" and treated like Basketball's savior from the unlikeable superstar days of Iverson, Kobe, Tmac, Carter - then you have a lot to live up to. I think we all thought we were getting a true competitor with a desire to be the greatest, a guy who was likable, mostly humble, and genuine - in short a pure talent. I think most people feel betrayed by Lebron after the last few months. "The Decision" was narcissistic, cruel to Cleveland, and wreaked of phoniness(the kids used as props to put him in a better light). The actual decision to play in Miami with Wade & Bosh showed he didn't have that competitive fire we thought he did - certainly no one aspires to greatness by taking the easiest road. In my mind, Lebron still has a lot of respect if he didn't do the decision and if he hadn't joined a super team like that. I can understand joining with Bosh - wing player+big is a classic combo, but joining forces with his biggest "rival" really disappointed me. So if he had just went to NY with Bosh or Amare without the decision - then yes, I still would have respected him. Hell, I would have respected him had he went to Chicago to play with Rose, Joakim, and Bosh (and I think that team would have handily beat the present Miami team). The whole South Beach/vapid celebrity/play with my boys thing is just not something that resonates with many people.
Kobe was NOT drafted by the Lakers. He refused to play for the team who drafted him(the Hornets) because he wanted to play in a big market and they were forced to trade him.
I stopped respecting him after the whole not-shaking-hands thing started hating him after the whole dancing and clowning bullshet I guess I just hate him more now after the whole FA drama
Like I was trying to elude to, Kobe was as immature as LeBron, but he got pushed to a team that wouldn't take his crap.
If he went to NY, I wouldn't respect him because he'd be just another athlete who chased the big money and big city fame. I HATE that athlete stereotype, and I love to see players sacrifice money and personal glory for winning. Chicago would have been awesome. I wish he would've gone there. I don't fault him for wanting to play with the best players available though, especially since they are his good friends. I'm not going to mentally penalize him for not living up to my preconceived expectations. That's just silly. If his goal is to rake in the championships on a potential dynasty instead of striving to be the GOAT, then that is a-OK by my estimation. I also don't fault him for keeping his decision from other teams until the last minute. I guess that would be considered as a lack of courtesy, but I say screw the other teams. I see no reason to help the competition by giving them advance notice.
If he had gone to NY or NJ and try to be the lead head guy, I wouldn't have thought as badly of his decision as riding coat tails of what could've been his best rivals. You need a good team to win, plain and simple, its a 5-5 game, but its one thing to get a good supporting cast, and be the supporting cast. people love to say Lakers were trash before paul, why don't you do the research, they were number one seed in the west BEFORE they traded for pau you need 5, but yea I think jordan, bird, they all needed good supporting cast, none of them would've joined eachother, yea its not the worst thing to do, but you do respect that ultra competitive inner wires of MJ, kobe, so on that lebron just doesn't have, wade won it already with out him and bosh is not in the conversation, but ah well, such is lebron james, the paris hilton of the NBA
This plus if he would have went to the Cavs, sat down and thanked them for all they've done, so they wouldn't completely get shafted.
