Confessions of a Lebron Hater

I'm dusting off this blog because I need to get something on the record.

I am a Lebron James hater!



In the past this post would be a lot more methodical, but not today. I'm not going to break down his performances, I'm not going to get into all the tangible and disgusting ways he "played" for his team in the Finals and even throughout the playoffs (where he gave a relatively terrible Philly team life by not taking them seriously and then needed Wade to save him against the Celtics so he could front-run against the faux-contender Bulls), I'm not going to get into a dissertation about his plus/minus in crunch time or compare him to Dwyane Wade. If you need me to explain any of that to you then you're either not a basketball fan, or blinded by a desire to root for highlight reels over substance.

My issues with Lebron go far beyond simple numbers and statistics. A lot of people would use the phrase "everything that is wrong with professional sports". I hate cliches, but it would fit.

The reality is the guy is a spoiled baby who refuses to man-up and face any sort of adversity.  I can muster no respect for him as an athlete, but more importantly, as a man.  I wanted to like him after watching the teenage phenom at Saint Vincent/Saint Mary's High School, but after 8 years of watching him act like a baby, embellish injuries that would make Christiano Ronaldo blush, completely disrespect the game of basketball, his peers in the sport and all the peons placed on this earth to "Witness" the greatness that is Lebron James, all just leading up to a yearly tradition of straight up giving up the moment things get difficult and topping it all off with a complete avoidance of taking any responsibility, I find myself nothing but disgusted.

Who to blame, who to blame?

There are several things that I think make a man, a "man".  Among those are things like integrity, accountability and toughness.  Watching Lebron on and off the court, I have a really hard time spotting any of those sort of things and I therefore haven't been at all surprised by the way the last few years of his career have panned out.  I also, (as you may have noticed by this point), have had a very hard time viewing and/or respecting the man-child who refers to himself as "The King", as a man.

The reason I'm ok with just being a hater and rooting against Lebron is because in sports, someone has to lose.  If Lebron wins, it means a more respectable, deserving man has to lose.  That realization makes it very, very easy for me.

I generally dislike "haters", but in this case, I can't fight it.  There are too many people who work hard and deserve success for me to not want to see this one lose.

So from this day forward feel free to call me "Lebron Hater".  Just don't talk to me about your surprise when his career continues to go the way I've said for the last 6 years that it would, and don't act surprised if his personal life begins to reflect these issues as well.  As a 26 year old, Lebron has an appalling sense of entitlement.  He seems to have a deep rooted belief that the world owes him something and that this joyride of a life that he's known thus far will never end and should never get difficult.  This is a recipe for disaster as a competitor, but also as a person who has a ridiculous amount of fame (and the pressures that come with it) to deal with.  I do not see it ending well in either arena, barring significant growth as a person.

I mentioned the cliche "everything that is wrong with professional sports", so let me say a word about what is right about sports. The field of competition has always been, to me, the most revealing place in the world. It exposes almost everything that you are as a man. There is no place to hide. Not from the world, and certainly not from yourself. Integrity and honor make themselves known, while cowardice and immaturity will assassinate you.

Don't get me wrong... I do not want to see his personal life go the route that I fear it will. If you know me and my views at all then you know that I love redemption stories, particularly when it comes to sports.  I love second chances. I love watching guys transition from talented boys, to respectable men.  I hope to see this transition in Lebron. I hope to see him grow up, learn some maturity and accountability. I hope to see him gain some humility and perspective. I hope to witness (pun intended) his transition from talented boy to respectable man.

Memo to Lebron James: You are not Michael Jordan.

However, until I see that, I cannot help but to be disgusted by the "man" that Lebron seems to be content to be and I cannot help but have a strong desire to not see him rewarded for that.

Of course, this is all just coming from a Lebron hater with a laptop who can't dunk.