An open letter to the media. RE: Lebron James

Dear sports journalists, sports casters, game reporters, radio show hosts, and other media outlets,

Isn't Lebron James awful!

I mean look at the guy. He came out of high school in a blitz of fame and glory. We were told he was going to be the greatest player of the new era. He was dubbed "King James" and we were told we would "Witness". He dove right into the NBA. To his credit he remained in a struggling Cleveland for seven years, hogging all the credit and the ball. He went with the Cavaliers to four playoff games including the finals against San Antonio. He received the NBA MVP award back to back years. He made the Cleveland Cavaliers (and essentially the city of Cleveland) dependent on him. Little did they know he was about to flip everything around.

He became a free agent. He visited other teams during the course of the off season and at least 5 other organizations were in serious consideration. He spent the whole summer in decision of where he would go. America was beat over the head with where he was at every particular day. He was visiting New York. He just left New York. I wonder what he was talking about with New York. This went on for 2 months. Sports center had nothing but Lebron coverage.

Then he made his decision. In a glamorous fashion. He went on television to stab Cleveland in the back and take a short cut to get a ring, by joining with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. And long story short, he lost in the big finals. He just couldn't cut it.

Now he'll never be the same player and he doesn't deserve any of our respect. Or so the media has so told us.




But wait a minute. Hey media...did you forget some things about this pre-mature legacy of King James? Let me refresh your memory.

1. You hyped him up coming out of high school. No player received more fire up coming right out of college ever. You decided he was the number 1 high school prospect. He was surrounded by great talent at his school so he was number 1. Number 2, Luol Deng, was getting dunked on in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2. You branded him King James. 
3. Lebron never said, "Hey Cleveland, put my image on the side of buildings. Put all of your stock for happiness in me." Cleveland decided to do that in the ever changing world of professional sports.He gave them the only playoff wins since 1998 and carried their terrible team.
4. You followed him like a hungry dog looking for scraps everywhere he went during his off season team searches. You flooded ESPN with all Lebron all the time coverage. You forced us to care a ridiculous amount about something that had no real significance. Lebron didn't call the fans and say, "Hey, I'm leaving Chicago now. Get together and speculate what happened." The man was in business meetings working out business deals. There was nothing personal about it. He wanted to make a crazy amount of money (if you had the opportunity, you would to) and write his legacy into the history books. 
5. All of this of course led to "The Decision". This was a program that was the culmination of all of your hard work. All the nit picking you did and beating the public over the head with pointless over information that made us care more than we ever thought we could care led to this shining moment. He agreed to be on tv and to use it to help the Boys and Girls Club of America, but after all of the hype he had received, what was he supposed to do? Post in on twitter? Nope. He did just what you wanted him to do. And hey! It even gave you more to criticize him for. Lucky you!
6. He is not the evil man you make him out to be. Attacking him as much as you can is ridiculous. 

I love Lebron, I'm not afraid to say it.But I also understand he is not the messiah. I understand he sometimes says the wrong thing. I understand the decision could have been handled better. I don't, however, understand the vitriol and hate directed at him. Cleveland, get over it. You don't have to cheer for him but his failure does not make the Cavaliers win and it will not bring you any good except for cheap misguided joy. 

Outside of Cleveland(and maybe Miami if you expected more from him), no one should be upset about him. He supposedly took a short cut to get a ring. Which is exactly what anyone would have done given his situation. He did what was good for his career. Just like any journalist writing a hate story about Lebron because that is what fires people up. He did what was good for his career and his image, and if that upsets the media and pretentious people (and certain coaches) who wish people would give them attention because their game is so pure, well you need to get over it. 

Some people have a lot of problems with the comments of Lebron James after his loss in Game six. Lebron was asked if it bothered him to have so many people cheer for his failure.

Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today.

At first, I took this comment the same way everyone else did. I'm rich. You're not. You can hate me all you want but that's not going to change. After hearing it multiple times and hearing other people's take on it I feel that he was talking more about the seriousness of the game. You can hate him all you want but he has his dream job and he's going to keep on playing. This was just one game in a long career and if that one loss brings you joy, you probably need some better hobbies in your own life. And all of their hate doesn't mean anything to him. He has plenty of people who love him so why should he give the time of day to the haters. 

And even if it was a shot at his haters, I don't have a problem with it. After all of the hate directed at him from fans and the media, I would do the same thing. Not many people could take that kind of abuse. 

The shots at Lebron's character are what really get me. Michael Jordan was notably one of the most difficult people to play the game with. He is remembered by all of his team mates by being, quite plainly, a jerk. But he won. And that's all that matter and that's all we'll hear about. People are currently talking about what it would take for Lebron to win back supporters. I'm sorry did he do anything illegal or immoral to lose support? No? He just wasn't as dominant in a basketball as he usually is? Oh okay. Yeah he still has my support. 

I love Lebron, and I'm sorry if a lot of people don't. This should be my last article about him for some time. That is, unless the media decides to blow another situation out of proportion. Hey media? Here's to hoping you won't, and here's to knowing you will.

Sincerely,

An Average Bro