Back in the day, I’m talking way before hashtags, Dr. Dre dropped his classic 2001 Chronic album. One of the lead singles was “What’s the difference,” a song in which Dr. Dre questioned why he had been the target of so much criticism for doing the same things other rappers had done in their careers. The song reminds me of the criticism of LeBron James, a criticism he receives that’s simply not exclusive to him as a player.
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Despite very few flaws in his game, LeBron SHOULD get criticized for his blah career free throw percentage (upper 70s) and the fact that he averaged 4 turnovers a game this season, which is 2x more than his buddy Chris Paul.
But that’s not the criticism. Instead, most of the criticism and negative talking points about him have nothing to do with his actual game on the court. Two of them come to mind…
Taking his talents to South Beach and creating a “super team.”
So what. I’ve been to Cleveland several times, and I’ve been Miami several times as well… it’s a no-brainer. But that’s not the main gripe, it’s this myth that he “created” a super team and he was the first to do it.
Yes, LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade were the first stars to construct the nucleus of a team; however, General Managers have been building teams with multiple stars for years. No team has ever won a championship without multiple all-star caliber players.
Let’s look at a few… Bird doesn’t win without Parish and McHale. Thomas doesn’t win without the Bad Boys. Jordan doesn’t win without Harper, Rodman, and Pippen.
And the second critique… Lebron’s not a “killer.”
A very subjective measurement of a player, and one that LeBron apparently doesn’t have. Lebron lacking the “Jordan” or “Kobe” killer mentality comes from his deferment to pass in situations rather than take a contested shot because he’s the best player. And the best player does whatever it takes to win.
Despite being the only player to average a triple-double in the NBA finals, leading multiple statistical categories on both finals teams for the past four years, and three NBA finals MVPs… he’s not a killer?
I don’t get it. I’m obviously a LeBron fan. But I just don’t understand the furious hate LeBron receives when other notable players seem to escape the same level of disdain.
I said all that to say this…
Considering serious social and political issues in our country, the uncanny criticism of LeBron is akin to the hypocrisy of American politics. Perfect example, Roseanne Barr was recently fired from her show for a series of racially motivated comments. The right has gone crazy suggesting a violation of free speech – the same free speech that NFL players exercised by silently kneeling during the National Anthem that they said was disrespectful to the flag and military, therefore justifying Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reed not having a job.
Perceptions and opinions have dangerously turned into facts. If having discussions and problem-solving were hard before, then they’ll likely be much tougher moving forward… tougher than Lebron and the Cavaliers playing the Golden State Warriors in this year’s NBA Finals. Just don’t say that in front of Kobe and Michael Jordan fans, because they simply won’t see the difference.
Point out the hypocrisy… it’s staring us in the face everyday.
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