LeBron to Miami! Whatever you think of what LeBron did isn’t the real story. The real story is how today’s athletes ARE more entitled.
LeBron James image from NBA.com
We like to say athletes think they are more entitled. Who can blame them! From their early days of AAU and other travel sports they are given everything. It simply becomes common and normal behavior for them. We are the ones that did this. We want to see more and more. We broke our own rules.
Please, don’t think for one second I like it, I just have learned that it is what it is. We as fans have want to see greater performances; sponsors have given them more but expected even more in return; management requires better numbers or they’re out; and the players simply want more money, fame, and so on. We all have created this.
So when Michael Jordan spoke out against the free agents wanting to get together to form a team rather than developing their own teams, he was speaking from his generation. It’s not the same any more. Just like it wasn’t accepted as easily when Jordan came out with huge, long shorts- now it’s the norm.
We have to realize we are a part of the problem, and when I say “we,” I mean everyone involved from the fans, to the players, to the owners.
In LeBron’s eyes, he may have looked at what he did as a great thing for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He is so used to being the focal point it probably never occurred to him that hosting an hour special on where he was going might be a huge turn-off to most people. These players aren’t brought up to think that maybe people don’t really want to focus on them all the time. I don’t know, maybe we do.
I think what bothers me the most is the negative attention he and the others are getting over this. I am a fan of sports and of great play. I can’t wait to see what Miami can do this year. Just like I couldn’t wait to watch Bird and the Celtics, Magic and the Lakers, Jordan and the Bulls, and now LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh and the Heat!
Its entertainment and sports combined. Enjoy it for what it is, and don’t get so emotionally involved. Easy for me to say; I use to be a die-hard Piston’s fan and watched Isaiah throw an in-bound pass that Bird intercepted and won the game with a great pass to Dennis Johnson. I went for about a two mile walk that night just to get my composure back.
I just wanted to talk about a topic that seems to be getting more and more prevalent with the younger star players.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
Kudos!!!!!!!!!
I understand what you are saying and I agree that “we” are to blame. Hopefully this backlash is “we” getting tired of it. Between LaBron and Tiger maybe everybody is getting tired with this behavior and the pendulum will start to swing the other way.
To me basketball is the game of giants and holds no intrest to a man with normal dimensions. I’ve never heard of LeBron but I can imagine the indulgence he is used to receiving.
Lee, you are the hero of us, the mere mortals. You give us hope that our sport skills can be improved with devotion, hard work and the set of right exercises. That is what counts, not some big headed stars and their demands.
Thanks guys!
Gary, i appreciate your kind words. Working on skills will give us all a chance to be something we want to be.
Ken, great point!
Just another example of our economic principles in practice. From the business aspect of the sport Lebron and other like him (Brett Favre comes to mind) are doing what the rules allow them to do – put themselves as individuals in the most advantageous position to secure money or rather a greater possibility to acquire more security from their employers or potential employers. Like Lee said we are all to blame. I’ve had these types of conversations and I pretty much always come to the same conclusion – for those fan(atics) who complain and forget that professional sports are a form of entertainment it’s simple – don’t participate. Otherwise, take professional sports for what they are, especially in America, and that is entertainment.
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