The Whining King
The National Basketball Association, like any other professional sports league, is star driven. No star in the NBA is bigger than LeBron James and the Brooklyn Nets learned last night that an army of men is no match for a superhero. There are some deniers out there who stubbornly insist that Kevin Durant is better, but after his Game 5 performance, it’s crystal clear that James is simply unstoppable if he chooses to impose his will on the offensive end of the court.
I am not part of the paranoid population of NBA fans who believe the league conspires to help the Miami Heat win. They are a great team and things tend to break their way. Do the greatest players tend to get calls in their favor? Of course they do, but hasn’t that always been the case throughout the history of sports? Isn’t that the biggest perk of having star power?
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Would referees tolerate behavior like this if it was coming from JR Smith?[/caption]
What irks me as a fan is seeing the double standard that exists with how officials treat LeBron. Whether it’s the verbal complaining, throwing his arms in disgust, or taunting his opponents with stare downs and slow walk-bys, James rarely faces any repercussions for his actions. Would officials react differently to the excessive histrionics if they were coming from Nate Robinson or Rasheed Wallace?
Considering the league claimed last year that were cracking down on flopping, I don’t recall James ever getting warned by the higher powers. Surely he takes his fair share of contact from opponents, but he also delivers it as well. A thrown elbow or lowered shoulders seldom results in an offensive foul, and if a charge is called, take notice on how he shows up the referee who blew the whistle. Can you imagine what his high school teachers experienced if they marked him wrong?
This seems like the one time officials acted accordingly:
In all my years following the sport, I do not recall Michael Jordan whining to the extent that King James does. I understand that superstar status creates a giant ego and from that comes the “your shit doesn’t stink” mentality, but at what point does the sense of entitlement and blatant disrespect for officials get you into some sort of trouble? Do officials even threaten LeBron to calm down or else?
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LeBron was placed on a pedestal at an early age.[/caption]
Is this the product of being told that you’re the greatest since you are in high school? He is old enough now to realize that his bratty behavior reeks of immaturity. Is this the message to send his biggest fans — young kids and teenagers? When role models act this way what type of effect does this have on kids’ behavior towards people of authority — parents, teachers, referees, etc.? For someone who seems to know how to represent himself favorably off the court, it’s quite ironic how he conducts himself on it.
When it’s all said and done, I believe that LeBron James will go down as the greatest basketball player of all time. As for now, it’s time to for him to grow up…..
…and for officials to show some backbone.
