It used to be acceptable to commend James on his skills, until he divulged that he’d be joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form arguably the greatest trio all-time in basketball. James, once the most global icon lauded in sports, is now the evilest villain in sports and has become the most hated ballplayer in the history of the NBA, ever since incorporating The Miami Thrice makeover with two marquee players.
During his bizarre transition over the summer, I’ve defended for James as everyone else unfairly ripped the forward for leaving his home town and revealing his next home by grabbing the spotlight on television. Suddenly, he is a nuisance. He needs to cease releasing commercial ads, at the expense of Nike’s creativity, and just play basketball.
All of us eventually will become tired and burnt out by his corny acting and silly stunts in promoting his stylish shoes. The latest ad, which is uncalled for, wrongly rips Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan for criticizing The Decision—a terrible move when he’s already disliked.
The tube seems to be his primary source whenever he is seeking to desperately preserve all the limelight, which is turning old and tiring. So the public is forced to glance at his overblown Nike ad, and laugh at his arrogance. He is clearly a pariah in any town besides South Beach, where he’s welcomed and honored as if he’s the royal king of the league.
He is essentially disowned unless he’s resting or relaxing by the shores of Miami. Suddenly, he is the most polarizing athlete to ever play the game.
Sure he’s very fun to watch for his finesse tricks, dynamic passing and high-flying dunks, but aside from it all, he’s bombastic and will always be perceived as a villain unless he adjusts his personality and helps repair his damaged image. But until then, he is doing nothing to revitalize his name.
If he truly wanted to protect his reputation, he would quit lashing out and shooting obnoxious commercials and instead play basketball with his new team in Miami.
Can he make such an adjustment?
Sure, he can.
He’s clearly childish, but not juvenile like the bitter Cleveland fans that night when they pathetically burned expensive No. 23 jersey and threw rocks at his mural.
His television displays are getting out of control, but television wants you to believe that he’s a godlike specimen who is untouchable and invincible. Being portrayed as the global magnet in basketball gives his critics more reason to hate him. The vast majority of sports fans want him to fail and lose with the Heat.
I don’t.
The vast majority of sports fans are ready to laugh if the trio accomplishes anything other than a championship. The vast majority of sports fans are ready to make a mockery of his giddy transition, if all things suddenly fail. The vast majority of sports fans are ready to overact and exaggerate, if he does win a title alongside two superstars.
I’m not.
So did he give up his claim to all-time greatness?
Not necessarily.
But he will destroy his image if he continues to unleash his ads on television. Sometimes, you need to keep your mouth shut and play the game. Then, maybe good things will happen. It means he could save his legacy and prove otherwise to Barkley after he laughed and ridiculed James following his first lost in his debut with the Heat, coming against the ageless Boston Celtics.
If this really is a team gifted with raw talent and All-Star intangibles, then there’s no denying that the Heat are worthy of finishing the regular-season atop the East and possibly even meeting the defending champs in the NBA Finals come June. In the meantime, LeBron will have to put aside the acting stunts and end a ruckus or else the Heat can easily falter. Put the circus to rest and the comical tales aside.
In truth, we admired LeBron better as a puppet than a wannabe actor.
If anything, lose the donuts and gulp on cookies with Kobe on strings.
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