Basically, the short version of what I'm going to say, I don't hate Lebron any more, and it's weird feeling that way.
I'm not going to pretend I'm a fan of his, or that I even like the guy. And I'm not a huge fan of him and two other superstars having to pile into one team to win a title. But that's neither here nor there.
The main reason I've always disliked Lebron - the one HUGE reason over all others was because he got tons of hype and publicity, tons of people claiming he was already an all-time great, hours upon hours of ESPN coverage that took away from more interesting subjects...and did nothing to earn it. MVP's, scoring titles, whatever; those don't mean anything. He never backed it up with a title. Yes, you can argue that since basketball is a team sport, blaming a person exclusively for not having a title isn't fair, but when you're the second coming of Basketball Jesus and you have television specials made over you deciding if you want to leave your team or not, it becomes completely fair. And it wasn't just that he wouldn't win the big ones, he consistently choked in the spotlight. It was sickening.
But after last night, and this whole last series, and even the series before it against the Celtics, where Lebron put his team on his back and chugged them forward with the great individual performances he had...well, that takes all that above stuff away, really. He has proven his worth. And so this has left me with a weird feeling where I look at Lebron and I don't feel that disdain any more, and I'm presented with a bigger problem, in that now, I suddenly don't have anyone to root against in the NBA, be it team or player. And it's left me with an apathy toward the whole next season.
Huh. :/
--
Will not remove this line of my signature until the Seahawks, Jazz or Rockies win a title (Started 5-16-09) SuperNiceDog: Guru winner
I don't have anything to say about Lebron, seeing as I don't watch basketball, but I don't get why people "root against a player/team." Is that all you (not specifically you) want watching a sport, seeing someone lose or fail? I can't get my head around that concept.
--
I'm but a simple companion in the pack of gurus whereof SuperNiceDog is the pack leader!
I don't have anything to say about Lebron, seeing as I don't watch basketball, but I don't get why people "root against a player/team." Is that all you (not specifically you) want watching a sport, seeing someone lose or fail? I can't get my head around that concept.
Maybe for some people that's all they want, but not for me. It's just that it's easy to learn to hate someone who gets loads of praise then proceeds to do nothing but underwhelm. I've never been one to seek out people I hate in sports, it just sort of happens.
But now I've reached a point where there's nobody I hate in the three major US sports. I've never really hated anyone in the NFL (and that's why I rarely watch it any more), Lebron just earned his way out of that spot, and Eric Byrnes is retired. I'm just not used to this kind of situation, and so I'm unsure how to react.
--
Will not remove this line of my signature until the Seahawks, Jazz or Rockies win a title (Started 5-16-09) SuperNiceDog: Guru winner
Just have hope that Lebron will now pull a Dirk and just be useless next season because he already has his ring and clearly is not trying as hard anymore.
Doubtful, but it would sure make for an interesting season.
Just have hope that Lebron will now pull a Dirk and just be useless next season because he already has his ring and clearly is not trying as hard anymore.
Doubtful, but it would sure make for an interesting season.
Like next season he just comes out and only puts up a 16/5/4 stat line?
I don't think I'd hate him as much as I'd die from laughter.
--
Will not remove this line of my signature until the Seahawks, Jazz or Rockies win a title (Started 5-16-09) SuperNiceDog: Guru winner
Watch the game/sport because you actually support one team, or to see beautiful plays/shots/goals/whatever? You still give the impression that you only watch because you hate someone, even if that hate just happens, which is, imo, some real unsportsmanship.
--
I'm but a simple companion in the pack of gurus whereof SuperNiceDog is the pack leader!