LeBron’s losing debut shows us why he’ll be a great villain
LeBron James is a great player. He’ll make an even better villain.
I haven’t much cared for the Celtics since Bill Russell retired, but I have to admit: I was pulling for them last night. And when LeBron and his South Beach-based talents and his Super Friends managed to muster all of nine points in the first quarter of the first game of the NBA season … well, I laughed out loud.
The NBA built itself on hyping players, but massive overload of the Summer of LeBron and his ESPN-aired Decision and the sheer wrong-headedness of a player this gifted feeling the need to cherry-pick both a new team and an NBA title at the ridiculously young age of 25 left a lot of folks cold. I know. I’m one.
When even commissioner David Stern, who never met a PR campaign he couldn’t embrace, called “The Decision” “ill-conceived,” you know something went bad somewhere. But let’s give the NBA credit: It knows how to play catch-up ball. So Night 1 of the Endless Season began with TNT bringing us the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics. And the Celtics won. And the Heat looked bad. And I said, “Hooray.”
LeBron had 31 points. (He is, as noted, a great player.) He also had eight turnovers. His new best buddy Dwyane Wade had 13 points and six turnovers. Their new wingman Chris Bosh had eight points and one turnover. Not one made half his shots.
But — and here’s the greater point — the Heat fell way behind early but managed to keep it interesting. And that made it even better. It would be no fun rooting against a demonstrably lousy team, and that’s why LeBron will make such a splendid meanie. Because he’s so good he’ll render every game fascinating, and when ultimately he loses it will be instructive to see what he says then.
Because you just know whatever LeBron and his Super Friends do, they won’t do it quietly. ESPN will see to that.
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75 comments Add your comment
g-dub
October 27th, 2010
11:46 am
Mark I would have figured that you were above hate but I guess you are not. People who love to hate someone are losers who probably never played sports in their entire life. I am no big LBJ fan but all this ignorance is turning me into one. He raised 2 million for boys and girls club with the decision. Everyone is talking about how bad that was but everyone and their mamas watched it(charles barkley and michael jordan included). In this day and age with twitter, facebook reality shows why not have the decision.
"Da Real" Damon Evans
October 27th, 2010
11:57 am
in my next lifetime i want to be a sportswriter for the ajc. i can’t believe you get paid for writing such garbage. they will not lose more than 5 of their next 25 games.
Lebron is the best he is doing nothing wrong. hey bradley do you know that all the advertising revenue from “his decision” went to the boys and girls club? he donated $3 million to the boys and girls club from that televised event. when was the last time you donated $3 million to a charitable organisation?
He took less money to go to miami. you are just jumping on the criticize lebron bandwagon since everyone else is on it.
Bradley you need to go and see a shrink. dude you are simply out of touch.
g-dub
October 27th, 2010
12:00 pm
@Lebron fan, you are right on with your views I don’t see how any mature adult could hate on LBJ, the kid has kept his head on straight when most of us would have lost it a long time ago, thanks, @thogwummpy whose fault is it that cleveland built a practice facility. What city would build a practice facility just because an athlete requested one. You sound like an ex-girlfriend. Having honor does not pay yor bills
G-Money
October 27th, 2010
12:02 pm
For all of you people who feel the need to conjure up a hate campaign, please get a life. The fact of the matter is when a player refuses to sign an extension, he is basically gone from his existing team. This guy took less money in pursuit of championships. Had he stayed in Cleveland for a max deal, and continued to come up short he probably would have been criticized for being greedy. The fact of the matter is these three players allowed the system to work for them. LBJ did not come out announcing that he would be a free agent, if memory serves me correctly it was the media who started announcing it two years in advance. He played the media and used it to the tune of a $3million dollar payday for his foundation, I say great job. As far as basketball is concerned, is there really anyone out there who honestly believe that he is going to average eight turnovers a game, or D. Wade is going to shoot as poorly from the field as he did? As losers you are probably cheering for them to do so, however it will not happen. If Miami doesn’t win let it be because other teams are better teams, not because their three best players all had off nights.
"Da Real" Damon Evans
October 27th, 2010
12:35 pm
Ted M
October 27th, 2010
11:02 am
Mark,
Aren’t you going to have an NBA prediction blog? Or Hawks prediction Blog?
I say Hawks win 47 and go out in the first round as a 5 or 6 seed.
—–
A person/writer has to understand the NBA to be able to do this. Let’s just leave it at that.
mac
October 27th, 2010
12:42 pm
F LeQUIT and Nike. Good luck selling anything LeQuit endorses outside of South Florida.
LeQuit will always be HATED in Ohio, new York, New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto , L. A. , the Midwest.
Nike. You have a problem. Stupid commercial.
Ted Striker
October 27th, 2010
12:54 pm
David Stern’s objections to “The Decision” came across to me like a drug dealer objecting to an overdose when he’s the very guy who put the “superstar over the team” drugs on the street. James totally mishandled his exit from Cleveland but make no mistake: The role of NBA hero to NBA villain is only being reprised by the man from Akron. Stern created it.
JB23
October 27th, 2010
12:57 pm
Its a shame all of the hate that one man gets because he decided to go to another team. Mark Bradley you need to be worried about these sorry hawks and how they will be dominated by the Magic and Heat this season. They hawks will be lucky to get into the playoffs with their superstar wannabe Slow Johnson and their medicare recipient PG Mike Boobie. LOL
TEE
October 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
The sports media don’t know nothin alls & the city of Cleveland fans need to GROW UP. So he may have mishandled his departure,but Lebron was there what, 7 yrs, and that coward of an owner couldn’t build a championship team around lebron in that time. He should have left.. The only thing the fans have shown the world is how immature they are, no wonder those that can get out, Do……
IJustDon'tGetIt
October 27th, 2010
1:52 pm
You folks kill me! You’d be giving the same commentary even if the Heat had won, only you’d had to wait for their first loss to jump on the hateration wagon. Nobody expects the Heat (or any team for that matter) to go 82-0!! That was the FIRST game of the entire NBA season! And it was competitive and entertaining! It’s unlikely that will be said about a whole lot of matchups this season! Can’t imagine what the expectations are for the other 28 teams since most have already declared the Lakers repeat champions!! Give it a rest! At the end of the season when the Heat are actually in contention during the playoffs (and the Hawks are not…SMH…) it’s really gonna drive you crazy!!
Innocent Question
October 27th, 2010
2:46 pm
Are all the LeBron apologists hip hop fans that use the word “swagger” more often than they read a book?
BirdDirty
October 27th, 2010
2:49 pm
Do all Favre apologist wear wrangler jeans and dirty baseball caps?
g-dub
October 27th, 2010
3:09 pm
@Innocent Question What does Lebron have to apopogize for? Why do you hate him? You sound like a jilted ex-girlfriend. What does hip hop have to do with it? People like you sit around mad at an athlete for no reason at all. Get a life!!!!!!
katherine
October 27th, 2010
3:12 pm
Very good article….I laughed out loud too
Lebron Fan
October 27th, 2010
3:42 pm
@ mac- you need to buy a vowel or something, because your comment is unreadable. @ Innocent Question- the word ’swagger’ rebuilt the Old Spice image. So while you’re taking jabs at hip hop, you need to see how much revenue is made by it being used in life and how much was made before it was used. IDIOT!
Ted Striker
October 27th, 2010
3:42 pm
“Are all the LeBron apologists hip hop fans that use the word “swagger” more often than they read a book?” — blogger identified as ‘Innocent Question’, 2:46 p.m.
1) “Apologists?” Seriously? Do you even know of what you speak? Do you really want to use a word etymologically based on Classical Greek that’s most famously known because of Socrates defense, or the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts, Romans, Philippians, Romans and Peter? In a discussion of LeBron James? Really?
2a) Regarding hip/hop, swagger, and reading. I — Ted Striker — like and enjoy hip-hop. Is one of my top 3 favorite genre’s of music.
2b) I rarely use the phrase swagger.
2c) I read about a dozen books a month, mostly biographies. I read in english, greek, french, spanish. Have around 3000 titles in my home library. Have an entire room which serves as a reading room/library.
3) Feel free to come over, get educated, listen to some hip hop and discuss Socrates or LeBron sometimes.
The Rock
October 27th, 2010
3:49 pm
Mark,
Did you join the AJC because it was the bottom of the news barrel, or because it was the #1 paper in the Southeastern US?
Why hate LBJ because he wanted to join a better organization than where he was previously? There were only a few teams, NY, New Jersey, & Cleveland, that were really hoping to get LBJ, so why is there this national hate campaigne?
I disliked how much ESPN & Friends (ABC, TNT, etc.) drooled over the guy when he was with Cleveland, but now I’m actually rooting for him to do well, and shut everyone up.
Let’s go Hawks!!!!
It’s going to be tough holding onto tht #3 spot in the East.
Mark Bradley is a hater
October 27th, 2010
5:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Mark Bradley is a hater
October 27th, 2010
5:43 pm
Once again my name says it all about you
Patman
October 28th, 2010
2:55 pm
OK all you LeBron suck ups, calm down! Let me state that, first of all,that I am black and not a Republican so don’t try to pin that racial crap on me! Not saying it doesn’t exist but it doesn’t apply here! I can’t speak for Mark “Give up three players for Rex Chapman” Bradley, but I can tell you that I don’t think anybody is “hating” (geez that expression is tired) on LeBron out of jealousy or anything like that! I’d hate the vast majority of the NBA if that were the case! It’s a convenient cop out on the part of you apologists! The problem that I, and most others, have with LeBron isn’twith the fact that he left Cleveland but the way he went about the whole thing! When he should have kept his mouth shut, he was dropping all kinds of hints about where he was going next, which was totatlly disrespectful to his teammates and team brass! When it would have been appropriate to let everybody know what his intentions were, he decided to put on this stupid spectacle to satisfy his ESPN hyped ego! Yes it’s great that the money went to charity but that was pocket change to him and it didn’t come out of his own pocket! For all the great numbers he’s put up, he hasn’t done anything yet but he’s been made out to be the second coming! Not only do I not see him winning any titles anytime soon but he will be further exposed as the overrated, one man, ESPN manufactured hype machine that he really is!
Patman
October 28th, 2010
3:13 pm
Having said all that, Charles Barkley is the last person who should say anything about LeBron. His elgacy is mostly saying stupid things to get media hacks to comment on him! He’s been with three different teams, whined his way out of two of them, and hasn’t won a single thing. It’s one thing to hear it from Michael Jordan, who has six rings with one team, but Barkley, for once in his life, needs to shut his buffoonish piehole!
akrightkidd32
October 30th, 2010
1:59 pm
I can’t stand lebron… I don’t hate the kid. I grew up around the same area n he was a local hero… then he basically sh*t on the city ..not because he left but how… u guys would all say diff if it was ur team ..n Tue charity thing? Give me a break .. he kn3w what he was doin with that… lmao n the argument about takin care of his family. N payin the bills argument is dumb… last I checked he’s not strapped financially… u guys spend just as much time defending him. He don’t kno yall or. Give two sh*ts about u or ur family..so why do u?
aussieoutsider
October 31st, 2010
7:45 pm
Really for all you haters of Lebron just think about it, this guy is going to be and i repeat “going” to be one of the biggest players to ever come out of this game whether you like it or not, so why not just enjoy the guy for what he can do and don’t bit*h about him not playing for your prefered team. So for all you people sitting on your chairs crying about how much Lebron loves himself and he only thinks about money, just have a think, what have you done in your life lately
Miami Heat Tickets
November 2nd, 2010
12:53 pm
Maybe if The Heat would sell 200 remaining cheap Miami Heat Tickets for $60 instead of $160 they’ll sell out? I’m sure by tonight they will.
http://www.ticketwood.com/nba/Miami-Heat-Tickets/index.php
Jimmy the Saint
November 2nd, 2010
5:28 pm
Maybe LeBron should actually *win* something before he gets annointed as “great”. He’s talented to be sure, but great? That’s a lot less certain.