First of all: you’ve gotta love Obama going with his pick of the Lakers in 6. Remember the whole tussle about all of Obama’s Final Four picks being from swing states? Well, Obama just chose a team from California, as money-in-the bank of a state as there is, over Florida. That’s gotta be how he really feels. Although now I’m vaguely afraid Obama’s about to raise taxes in California by half, or give San Diego over to Mexico.
But anyways, I don’t believe I’m on-record about LeBron James stiffing the media. This is mainly because I wasn’t aware that it happened until after I wrote my original recap-I turned off the TV and stopped looking at the internet pretty much immediately after the buzzer sounded in Game 6. Here’s my post on the subject and some context for it over at SLAM. Have fun reading it.
Keep coming back, we will be going strong this off-season with move ideas, reporting on rumors, draft stuff, and assorted other offseason goodness. If you have other things you’d like to see this off-season, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or put it in the comments.
First off, I’d just like to say that I really enjoyed following your writing throughout the playoffs. I appreciate the combination of basketball knowledge, especially fluidity with the advanced statistics that haven’t quite broken completely into the mainstream and thus one doesn’t get from many of the popular newspaper columnists or TVcasters, and the dedication and emotion of a devoted Cavs fan. I didn’t discovery your blog until the playoffs this year, but I am excited to keep following over the offseason, the next season, and hopefully a deep playoff run. I’m hoping to make it to some live games too, despite being a grad student with a limited budget.
As for requests, I have one. I remember you said that J.J. Hickson has a good deal of potential during one of the chats, but I realized I don’t really know anything about him. I would be interested in hearing about what you see as possibilities for his future with the Cavs in terms of contribution, playing style, and how he could fit in with the team.
And compare to Darnell… Everyone seems think Hickson is the one with the real potential, but the more i see from Jackson, the more i am convinced that he can be a very successful banger in this league, with some pretty good offensive abilities as well, including a nice jump shot.
You know, when I first heard about him walking off the floor, I was a little upset too. He has never really slipped up in his career, and this seemed so out of character. However, after hearing all the hate being spewed at him, I’m kind of glad he did it. Maybe this will end up the same way as Kobe. He became despised (for other reasons, obviously), but he acted this way and now he is hailed as the ultimate competitor. I’m sure there were people unhappy with things Michael did (such as punching teammate Steve Kerr), but now he is hailed as the ultimate competitor.
What I’m trying to say is, maybe this is just the way America views things. It’s unfortunate, but it seems like the bigger jerk you are, the more “competitive” you are. It makes no sense at all, but that seems to be the standard in America.
Plus, this may be my way of hoping Orlando-Cleveland becomes a legit rivalry. From Mo Williams getting hit, to his guarantee, to LeBron walking off, there is a chance some real animosity could be stemming from this series. And you just don’t see that these days because either everyone is friends with everyone, or teams don’t consistently play each other in the playoffs.
John,
I have a problem in general with you criticizing NBA players for how they act. A lot of this is heat of the moment, and typically, you aren’t there in that moment.
But even more disturbing to me is that you don’t take into account the possibility that they act this way because it is part of who they are and who they are is part of what makes them the best.
KG is incredibly intense. Do I think it verges on the insane? Yes, but unlike a lot of guys in the league and its history (kermit washington, dennis rodman, bill laimbeer, stephen jackson, etc.), he has never actually done anything to physically harm anybody, so why should we nitpick over a few words between grown men.
LeBron walks off the court without congratulating the other team. Maybe he just doesn’t have it in him to go directly from playing his ass off in one of the biggest games of his life to shaking hands and playing nice with the media.
Apparently he texted his congratulations to Dwight Howard later, and then the next day, he talked to the media and faced up to what he did; and earlier today after getting fined, he said it wasn’t the right move.
And that is OK by me.
Maybe he didn’t go out of his way to show his sportsmanship in the spotlight, but don’t we always commend famous people when they do charity work out of the spotlight also?
And then you’re saying, “God forbid he admit to having this personality flaw.”
I know people aren’t happy that LeBron didn’t apologize outright, but I’d prefer an honest answer to a fake apology.
It also bothers me a bit that the only people that have really had a problem with this whole fiasco are people in the media (except Brendan Haywood, of course, who seems like he might have an unhealthy obsession with LeBron). Former players and coaches understand that this isn’t middle school and guys don’t always feel like being chummy after a tough loss. It doesn’t hurt their feelings, so they don’t complain.
I’m a journalism graduate and a basketball fan, so I know that not all journalists are vultures, but the fact is that some of them are, and I can’t help but shake the feeling that some of the media are a little worried about players like LeBron taking the fine and not talking to them after these big losses instead of possibly saying things in the heat of the moment that they are going to regret later.
Remember last year when LeBron said some things after the Celtics series that hinted at his displeasure with the make-up of the team?
I think that some people in the media (especially NY) were hoping for another quote like that, and they’re upset that they didn’t get it because LeBron decided to take a day and cool off, so now, they’re going to skewer him in hopes that next time he won’t take that cool off period for fear of being hung out to dry as a bad sport again.
I really like your writing and like this blog, but I also disagree with the gist of this article. I don’t like the NHL comparison people are making either. I don’t see how insincere, involuntary handshakes after a game in which people take cheap shots at each other (something for which NBA players are crucified) somehow makes them good sports. NBA players are held to a higher standard. I also don’t like people bringing up children, as if they don’t see much worse things in the media every day. Anyways, LeBron got the $25K fine, which is standard and no big deal, but it still won’t be enough for some people.
The $25 grand is perfectly fine. It’s just consistent, which is the important thing. If he wasn’t fined, it would set a bad precedent of favoritism. But yeah, people are definitely making a much bigger deal about this than it should be. LeBron deserves some slack for everything he’s done right so far. I don’t think his actions should be defended, but they also shouldn’t be used as ammunition to try to pick him apart.