My feelings about LeBron James are well documented. Probably not well documented- I think I've mentioned it in a blog or two, and displayed a lot of passive aggressive behavior towards my LeBron James basketball cards. But I'm not a big fan of the way he carries himself- and if anything, that sentiment has grown in light of his behavior during this free agent "courting" period.
I guess I'm not even thinking about the whole process, because I honestly didn't follow it (although, judging from the number of headlines it garnered, the whole things was ridiculously over the top). I'm thinking primarily of the whole 'one hour special on ESPN' (which, to be fair, I didn't actually watch).
Over the past few months, I've really made an effort to not partake of certain events that I am told by the media are "news". I don't read articles about Brett Favre anymore. I didn't watch Tiger Woods news conference. And I really haven't paid much attention to the hoopla around the "summer of LeBron". I prefer to partake of individual brilliance on my own, without having someone tell me that I am partaking of that brilliance- I think it's one of the reasons that I've really latched on to this World Cup. Everything is unknown to me, so I'm having to watch things with my own eyes. I look and see David Villa score amazing goals- I know he has a tremendous reputation, but that reputation means nothing to me. All that I know about him is that I have seen him score two of the most impressive goals I've ever seen in this tournament. LeBron? I've been told he was the next big thing since he was a junior in high school.
While I openly admit that there are things about our capitalist culture that I really enjoy, there are certainly aspects that I despise, and the deification of mere human beings is one of them. I despise being told that I should care about or follow the events of certain people because they are famous. When those people buy into the lie, it reinforces negative feelings from me towards that person.
Where am I going with this? I don't care that LeBron signed with the Heat. Part of me really really wishes he would have stayed with the Cavs, but I understand wanting to win championships, and I really don't think that would have happened with Cleveland. However, I understand tact and class, and LeBron showed neither one of those by acting as though he was bigger than life by hosting this whole circus event.
I hadn't really thought about this too much (probably because I'm not a Cavs fan), but several articles I have read mentioned the travesty of his stabbing his home city in the back by making this announcement on national television. And it is a travesty- as a sports fan, I still subscribe to archaic notions like loyalty and humility and sportsmanship. The thought of willfully setting up a television spectacle to basically give thousands of fans a Judas kiss with your middle finger is the act of a cruel Hassansin.
Not as cruel as casting this guy as a Persian though
Simply put, it was a Dick move. I totally agree with the idea that this was intensely selfish and heartless- LeBron has much to learn before he can truly be a King. He may be the best basketball player in the world, but he doesn't score many points in the man of integrity column. I've never been a LeBron fan, but I will be rooting against him with even more intensity now. If that makes me a 'hater', so be it. But I would much rather root for causes that I can believe in than a man that I cannot.
PIC- http://www.gameguru.in/images/jake-gyllenhaal-1.jpg
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