Before we get to what will be an interesting and entertaining NBA Finals, there is the small matter of LeBron James that must be addressed.
Was it unsportsmanlike for LeBron to walk off the court without shaking anybody's hand? Yes, but I'm sure it's nothing Dwight Howard or anyone on the Magic found particularly offensive. Was it unsportsmanlike for LeBron to blow off the media after the game? A little bit. I've never been one of these people who believe that a person's character can be boiled down to his relationships and conduct with respect to the media. There have always been and always will be a lot of phonies in sports whose unblemished records with the media only cover up other flaws that the public never gets to see. But LeBron should've known how it would look, and he should've anticipated the fallout. He made a mistake. Hey, he's 24 years old.
Here is the problem I have with LeBron: All that dancing, preening, posing, joking, air-guitar strumming, and shenanigans during pre-game introductions -- and during the games sometimes -- that he and the Cavs liked to do during the good 'ol days when they were rolling and everything was just spectacular in Cavsville? I didn't like it then, and I like it even less now. It was unprofessional then, and it can be viewed in an even harsher light now that it was all for nothing.
During the Cavs' 107-76 thrashing of the defending champion Celtics on April 12, I wrote something in this blog that proves that sometimes, I know what I'm talking about. I wrote that the Cavs' joking and back-slapping and unprofessional conduct on the bench during the blowout -- all of which was orchestrated by LeBron -- was unprofessional. I wrote that it was more than that. It was planting the seeds for payback. I wrote that the Celtics would remember that, and that it would motivate them to make the Cavs pay for their immature behavior.
Well, I was wrong about which team would exact revenge. Had the Celtics gotten Kevin Garnett back for the playoffs, who knows? Maybe they would've beaten Orlando -- I suspect they would have -- and then gotten their chance to make LeBron and the Cavs pay. Didn't happen. But the foolishness certainly came back to bite LeBron and his teammates, and they only looked smaller when LeBron needed 24 hours to face the music once the Cavs' brilliant season ended in defeat.
So here's what I have to say now, and I don't think I need to say it for it to be true: You will not see LeBron & Co. -- whatever players make up the "Co." part -- carrying on that way next season. Or you shouldn't, anyway. I believe the King and his royal subjects have learned a very tough lesson. You don't get to dance, celebrate, and show up your opponents until you are standing on the court next to the championship trophy.
None of this makes LeBron a sore loser for failing to shake hands or blowing off the media after losing to Orlando in the conference finals. But it should -- and I believe, will -- make for a much different LeBron when we see him again next season. From now on, I believe you'll see him save the celebration until there's something to celebrate.
LeBron's premature celebration haunts him
Posted on: June 1, 2009 11:35 am
Score: 172
Comments Add a Comment
IndiansFFan2007
Reputation: 94Level: All-Star Since: Jan 12, 2007 |
Posted on: June 5, 2009 12:06 am
Score: 80
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himHaunts him? Yes, athlete have no fun playing a game that we pay to watch for entertainment. Give me a break, the Cavs have great chemistry and it is still just game. Don't forget this King is 24 years old, so give him a break and enjoy watching one of the best ever.
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Diggsy Level: Superstar Since: Aug 24, 2006 |
Posted on: June 2, 2009 5:19 pm
Score: 83
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himBrownsTownClown, Maybe now you have a better idea how the other teams felt. Well, maybe not since Orlando was actually too classy to stoop to your team's level after burying your team.
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BrownsTownClown Level: Superstar Since: Oct 10, 2006 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 11:39 pm
Score: 60
Berger's Attempt to be a writer is PrematureBecause you have no idea what kind of comraderie this team had, a fun time much of the last half of the season while compiling 66 wins, 39 at home in front of over 20,000 fans almost every game. What do we care about how other teams felt---we were having a great time, and playing with confidence. You seem to think you have some say in how we should have behaved, and feared the results of such inmature behavior. BULLCRAP--WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE REALIZED is how a team like Orlando got where they were, BY NOT PLAYING THE GAME THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED. The CAVS should have prepared for illegal shots to vulnerable parts of their body that draw blood, and probably made MR. NAISMITH sqirm in his grave. Look up the "original rules of basketball" if you need a reminder, AND MAY I SUGGEST THAT ALL FANS, DAVID STERN, NBA REFS, NBA PLAYERS THAT CLAIM ALLEGANCE WITH GOD, MEDIA HACKS, ETC., ETC., should do so also!!
It is very clear what he intended for his game. It was not played that way. THE....BROWNS TOWN CLOWN !! |
Big Boi
Reputation: 1Level: Amateur Since: Jun 5, 2007 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 8:55 pm
Score: 175
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himI totally agree, I am a lowly Grizzlies fan. My poor team doesn't even make LeBron work when he comes to town. In '07 he dropped 51, 9 and 11 in an overtime game that should have never been close if he wanted to actually try. This season I prepared myself to watch a master craftsman pick apart my struggling young franchise in "We're-on-a-mission" fashion. For the second year consecutively, I paid good cash to watch a pro stoop to novice level by testing his range with trick shots, only entering the paint on break-away dunks and, the coup de gras, desiding to finish with a triple-double by drawing defenders, hitting West or Williams, then turning his back with finger in air, counting the assist before the shot left the shooters hand. They only missed the shot once. Most were entertained, others, like me, were disgusted. Midway through the 4th quarter, once the stat box recorded his 10th assist, he sat down with 30+points and double figures in assists and rebounds in a runaway win for the Cavs not even worthy of mention on national sports news.
It would have been more impressive to see a man lead his team, driven to crush an unworthy opponent, and have the game be out of reach by the final quarter. Call me old fashioned. |
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Diggsy Level: Superstar Since: Aug 24, 2006 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 7:06 pm
Score: 119
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himGreat article, just like the one Berger referred to that he wrote about the celebrations on Easter. There are two things these comments from the fans of 2 organizations-the Lakers and Cavs- have told me about their natural mental responses from reading this article. |
epiphany
Reputation: 99Level: Superstar Since: Feb 14, 2009 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 5:17 pm
Score: 121
LeBron's premature celebration haunts him"During the Cavs' 107-76 thrashing of the defending champion Celtics on April 12, I wrote something in this blog that proves that sometimes, I know what I'm talking about."
C'mon Berger, we all know you never know what you're talking about! Even a broken clock is right twice a day! Just joking. Great article, and great points. This is a professional sport, not a high school (or even college) league. This is not your rec league. Show some poise and maturity. One ties right in with the other as far as LBJ walking off the court and not talking to the media like a little girl whose puppy just died. Maturity shows. I guess with all the physical attributes and talent, some things still have to be learned with age. |
overbored
Reputation: 98Level: Superstar Since: May 26, 2009 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 5:10 pm
Score: 107
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himI agree with Berger on this one. However I don't agree with any premise, real or imagined, that the Magic somehow would have lost this series to the Cavs had the celebrations not occurred. I'm sure it added fuel to the fire, what with all the unneccessary hype after the buzzer beater in game 2. All they did is tie the series... would we have been so excited had a role-player hit that shot? I doubt it. Are the 3 points any less valuable when they come from a non-star? Hmm, I wonder what the 2002 Lakers would say... or the 93 Bulls.
Back to the point, though. The Magic are a very tough team mentally. They've survived multiple last-second shots in this postseason alone: 2 against the Sixers, 1 against the Celtics, and the one from LeBron. To their credit, they are 4-0 the following night. We heard Rafer Alston after game 6 talk about how they never get frustrated or angry when they're down big. Although most guys say stuff like that all the time, you really have to believe it this time. Although I think the Lakers are a mismatch for them, Orlando has the right mentality to win it all. I can't imagine how good they'll be when Jameer Nelson gets healthy... |
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Sithlord06
Reputation: 56 Level: Pro Since: Jul 19, 2007 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 4:52 pm
Score: 126
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himI love it! I like Lebron but he has to learn to be more humble, too many people have anointed him the King of the NBA, I dont mind the nickname King James....because he is a huge talent and incredibly gifted, he will be THE face of the NBA in the upcoming years as Kobe gets older and age catches up with him a bit.
But I think this loss against Orlando and walking off without shaking hands will teach Lebron a lesson in sportsmanship when its all said and done. He does have a knack of learning from his mistakes and I think he will make up for it next year. I got tired of the Cavs choreographed celebrations on the bench as much as I hated the Celtics for their towel waving and KG mean-muggin the camera. I have to give credit to Orlando, they just get the job done and keep it moving, they handle things with class. |
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Crispyone Level: All-Star Since: Jan 4, 2007 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 4:23 pm
Score: 121
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himLeBron was summed up nicely by my EIGHT year-old nephew. When the Cavs lost he said he was glad. When I asked him why? This was the reply of an 8 year-old child.
"Because I don't like LeBron. He's just a big showboat. That thing he does with the powder is just stupid. And when he dunks the ball with one hand behind his head that's just rude and is showboating. I just don't like showboats!" Seriously this is a child with a better sense of sportsmanship than a 24 year-old grown man. My nephew plays baseball, soccer, football, and basketball and sportsmanship is drilled into all of the kids and that's a good thing. The lesson was firmly cemented when as a RB, he had a break away TD, with no one near him, and did a flip into the endzone. He got the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and my brother, the coach, pulled him from the game and sat him on the bench for the remainder of the game. Afterwards, he had to apologize to everyone....the coaches for both teams, the players for both teams, and even the refs. Both myself and brother explained to him that it's OK to be happy and celebrate with your teammates in a respectful way but you never do anything that shows-up the other team. Losing is hard enough without some jerk rubbing it in your face. The funny thing is when asked where he got the idea from, his reply? "Reggie Bush". Seems like LeBron could have used this lesson a long time ago. And yes! Whether you like it or not kids do look up to these athletes as roll models and imitate what they see them do on TV. |
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ForeverChubs Level: All-Star Since: Oct 29, 2006 |
Posted on: June 1, 2009 4:08 pm
Score: 125
LeBron's premature celebration haunts himI disagree that all those antics came back to haunt the Cavs. That's not at all why they ended up losing and I don't think there is any bad karma for having all that "fun", even if it did make them the league's most annoying team. What I minded most about their invisible photo-taking and air-guitaring was the media riding it like these were the greatest guys in the world. You couldn't go three seconds of watching a Cavs game without hearing some stupid announcer or sideline reporter giving a report on how much these guys love each other and how they all want to go get a room together after the game. Seriously, it made this team almost unwatchable, and it's not as much their fault as the pole-ridin media's fault. All that being said, this has nothing to do with them losing. Oh ya and I don't think Lebron needed to stay and shake hands or talk to the media. Have you ever taken a really painful loss in sports before? You want to go home and drink or do something to numb the pain, you definitely don't want to talk about it. I don't blame him for his postgame behavior, a lot of guys who really care about winning would have done the same thing.
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