Why I stopped hating LeBron James and started to love him instead
In 2010, it was hard for me to dislike a professional athlete more than Lebron James. His game was the opposite of graceful - he was just an unstoppable, perfectly athletic train barreling towards the basket at speeds unknown to man. It just felt unfair. Plus, watching him single-handedly take over Detroit (29 of the last 30) was truly brutal to watch as a Pistons fan.
Anyways, then the Decision came. What was possibly the worst PR move of all-time came to an athlete I already strongly disliked. So, seems natural I would hate him even more? Wrong. Actually, the aftermath of the decision led to the beginning of my love and appreciation for Lebron James.
Let me explain.
After the Decision, Lebron was roundly criticized and villainized by everyone in the sports world. Indeed, the Decision was a terrible, terrible, terrible move by Lebron. But the criticism was so off point that my anger turned to the critics, not Lebron. The criticism focused on several aspects of Lebron’s decision:
The way in which he announced the decision (the spectacle, the Boys and Girls club etc.)
The way in which he made his decision (turning it into a drawn-out affair with ultimate hype)
The way in which he stated his decision (“taking my talents”)
The actual decision (going to Miami, joining another superstar, not being like Jordan)
Of these, I only agree with one of these criticisms - namely, the way in which he announced the decision. Knowing he was letting down an entire city and doing something so controversial, he really should not have announced his decision in the manner in which he did. That was a huge mistake, but one I would argue was probably made by someone close to him advising on PR. That’s no excuse - ultimately, he’s responsible - but still.
But, the focus on the actual decision really annoyed me. Here was a 26 year old young adult making a huge decision in their life. When I think of myself as a person in my early 20’s, I make tons of irresponsible decisions all the time. And I make decisions in my best interest. Not anyone else’s. Lebron, even though he’s famous, should be allowed to do the same.
All the people saying “Jordan wouldn’t have done it; he’s joining another superstar” need to realize - so what?!?! Yes, he’s not Jordan. Yes, he’s joining another superstar. What the heck is the problem with that? As a fellow male in my early 20s, I’d sure as heck rather live in Miami(!) than Cleveland for the next years of my life with a great basketball buddy and great team. Why does Lebron have to answer to any expectations other than his own? We tend to project onto our athletes our own desires for them, forgetting that they too are human and can and should have their own desires.
That’s my rant. So, basically, once everyone started hating him, I started feeling bad for him, which developed into a grudging respect, which turned into really loving his game as he’s taking over the NBA. His game truly is transcendental in so many ways - it’s not just his athleticism but his passing, vision, court sense, movement that make him one of the all-time greats. So forget about the dumb criticisms and comparisons to Jordan and appreciate the once-in-a-generation talent we’re witnessing now.