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What a bag.
LeBron aims to upstage NBA Finals
By Adrian Wojnarowski
Free agency was forever LeBron James’ chase, the Championship of Me, and how fitting that he uses the most vacuous vehicle of our time – the “Larry King Show” – to upstage an NBA Finals rich with such history and substance. As the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers gather for a championship series to remind us of what built the league, what made it great, here’s LeBron James with a public ode on LeBron James.
“I’m the ringleader,” he told King.
Only, he has no rings.
No judgment.
No shame.
He was talking about the free-agent crop of stars, because that’s mostly what James has cared about for two years now. He tried to win a le with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has surrounded himself with a collection of sycophants and incompetents, sneaker reps and childhood buddies and middlemen whom he calls his team. Somehow, they couldn’t let him stay quiet until the playoffs were over, until everyone had pushed past the way he disappeared in the conference semifinals. He did a vapid sit-down with King to air on Friday night, and they made sure to leak out a transcript that drones out the start of the NBA Finals.
In so many ways, he’s a young Alex Rodriquez, so insecure with himself and his MVP awards, so desperate to find validation in the courtship of free agency.
“He seems more enthusiastic about this than he did trying to beat the Celtics,” said one Western Conference GM. “I mean, who goes on Larry King to talk about ‘When I become a free agent?’ ”
Different times, different measures of self. James refuses to see himself in the context of sport, in the lineage of those before him. There are two preps-to-the-pros stars in these NBA Finals – Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett – and sometimes people forget how much they struggled early on, how no one ever anointed them as skinny high schoolers leaping straight into the draft. They were talents, but they never had childhoods like James.
James climbed out of limousines at prep All-American sneaker camps. He wore shades and shirts which proclaimed himself King. He never learned to treat people with many manners, or to treat authority with respect. When he had something to say about himself, LeBron James never needed to consider the cir stances surrounding him. Now, it happens again. Free agency has enough hype without this selfish stunt, without him thinking that somehow everyone else is just a prop for his drama.
Two seasons ago, James marched into Madison Square Garden and sounded like a carnival barker, bellowing: “If you guys want to go to sleep right now and not wake up until July 1, 2010, then go ahead because it’s going to be a big day.”
He sat on a news-conference podium, with uncomfortable Cavaliers officials looking on, spitting out the date his personal playoffs begin: July 1, 2010. He loves to hear other free agents – Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer – all insist this process starts with him. He loves that no can make a move in July until he does.
The NBA had always been about June, but LeBron James couldn’t stand this month without him. The Celtics and Lakers earned themselves this stage, a throwback rivalry that makes those in the ’60s and ’70s and ’80s so proud of the way these two teams, these champions, comport themselves. The Celtics and Lakers are the NBA’s test of time – Bryant and Garnett, Gasol and Pierce. They’ve come to understand that those teams, those uniforms, represent something bigger than themselves, something that’s sustained this league forever.
Maybe someday LeBron James will find it, but something tells you of the emptiness awaiting him in July. Eventually, he’s going to have to find a team, sign a contract and the Championship of Me will be over. All he’s ever truly wanted was to be the so-called ringleader of free agency, and it’s almost here, almost his now. All these years, all these stars who lived for June, and now maybe the most gifted of them all has never stopped talking about July. No judgment. No shame. The ringleader is still searching for something.
What a bag.
How can he "upstage" the Finals without the enabling and assistance of the media... oops.
OMG, that avatar is kill me after my lungs explode from laughing.
Aside from the uniforms, what is it about this series that reminds anyone of what "built this league?"
If this was happening during a Spurs-Pistons Finals I doubt we'd be seeing this Wojnarowski column. How sorry of LeBron to draw attention away from one of only 3 or 4 possible Finals matchups the sports media can get themselves excited about.
People bow at this kid's feet when he's not even old enough to drive a car and then there's a big shock when he has an ego?
This does remind me of Arod announcing his opt out during the 2007 WS.
Because the Lakers and Celtics ARE the NBA and because it's hard to put the uniforms aside.
LeBron is still a shallow kid.
That's the first thing that came to my mind too. An attention butthurt about never making a world series/NBA finals.
Well, to be fair, LeBacle did make it to the Finals once...
Man... remember Bron's first season when he was still poised and humble? Sad to watch people buy their own hype.
Wow I completely forgot that. Kinda shows how hollow that finals appearance was
he does have the media by the balls ...... , ESPN has the LeBron Watcher
I mean, you can't blame him. He's got them on a string and it's the nature of the business. Reporting stories and trying to be the first one to break said story.
If LeBron took a in Central Park, that turd would represent he's signing with the Knicks .......
maybe james has come to understand what the cavs uniform is all about. failure.
Why is the media ing about LeBron's media circus? If you think it's so wrong that LeBron is the story, then don't ing write about him.
well Mike had a huge hand in that, you take away the Bulls, the Cavs may have snuck out a ring. Same goes with the Hawks. Just Mike was being stingy and kept a lot of people from seeing the Promised Land.
LeBron James says he was humbled by Mayor Bloomberg pitching for him to come to New York, but is quick to point out President Obama's preference is for the NBA superstar to go to Chicago.
"I mean the mayor of New York is -- he's great. I mean he's -- he's done some great things. But it is humbling, and not just from the mayor of New York, but, you know, you had a President saying ... you know, go to Chicago," James said Tuesday.
"You have other cities and -- and other people wanting you to be a part of their city, wanting you to be part of their franchise. It's very humbling, because I work very hard at my craft and what I do. So it pays off."
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_...#ixzz0pjALRAWf
Just amazing
It wasn't much of a Finals though, so I can see how you missed it. It was, however, one of the few Finals I didn't watch from start to end.Wow I completely forgot that. Kinda shows how hollow that finals appearance was
That didn't last long at all. He was minutes from being asked to go home from the 2004 USA team in Athens. One of the players on the team had to say... "the way you order volunteers around like they are your personal assistants, maybe a THANK YOU might come in handy".
Never before has so much been done for someone who has done so little.
I don't think the 92 Cavs would have gotten through Portland. The 93 team may have had a shot against New York, but no way I could see them beating that Phoenix team.
It's unreal. ESPN has the LeBron Tracker, SI.com has the LeBron Watch. I don't remember anything quite like it.he does have the media by the balls ...... , ESPN has the LeBron Watcher
I mean, you can't blame him. He's got them on a string and it's the nature of the business. Reporting stories and trying to be the first one to break said story.
yeah, that Blazer squad was stacked and the Suns should have won that series.
Cavs, Hawks and many others just played in an era where Mike was head and shoulders above every and Scottie was arguably the best defensive player in the league.
I haven't seen anything like this either. But I can see why. Having these players move to a different place could really shift the balance of power in this league. Imagine the revenue that would flow in if the Knicks landed LeBron, for him and the squad. You know everyone would be a Knix fan and Knicks jerseys would be everywhere especially since New Yorkers are everywhere.It's unreal. ESPN has the LeBron Tracker, SI.com has the LeBron Watch. I don't remember anything quite like it.
i dont have a problem with it ...
Lebron is a great player with a potential to be an all-time great ...
But he does have somethings he needs to work (post moves, jumper still solid 1 on 1 defense) on but he is 25 i hope he does ..
I don't understand all the Lebron hate. He's clearly a great player, and it seems pretty obvious to me that he played hurt against the Celtics and didn't try to use the injury as an excuse. If anything, I think he's exceptionally gracious and mature in interviews. The only thing that needs work in my opinion is his free throw shooting and the decisions he makes regarding tattoos.
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