LeBron James: Still A Poor Sport, But Also Lives in La-La Land
by Josh Tucker on Aug 11, 2009 11:01 PM PDT
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Apparently certain of his public invincibility, LeBron James continues to defend his refusal to shake his opponents' hands after they stole his birthright sent him packing in last year's Eastern Conference Finals.
Via ESPN, a few silly quotes:
When asked by a reporter if he regretted not shaking hands since it gave him his first "black eye" in the court of public opinion, James said: "I still haven't had a black eye, for one. Two, I don't regret anything that I do. The only thing I apologize for that night is not doing the media [session, after the game].
"The media, your ... job don't start until ours' finish. You guys can't report and write you guys' story until we take a shower, until we come out and sit on the podium. That's the only thing I apologize for. As far as shaking hands, it's something that is not done in the NBA. If it was something like tennis, after tennis, you play, you win, you lose, you go to the center and shake hands, it happens every game in tennis."
This just in: Since LeBron is not aware that shaking hands is, in fact, standard practice after games (not to mention entire playoff series), we can conclude that he has likely never been present at the end of an NBA game. It follows, then, that this refusal to shake his opponents' hands is actually nothing new. In fact, LeBron James has never shaken the hand of another basketball player, and he doesn't intend to start now. (Whether or not he has ever shaken the hand of another person is, as of yet, undetermined.)
I believe I can explain this — and while I'm at it, crab dribbling and every other outlandish claim LeBron has made: He plays basketball in a make-believe world. It's true. He lives in La-La Land (are the Lakers charging him rent?). How else do you explain the fact that players don't shake hands at the end of the games he plays in?
More silly quotes, with my personal favorite being the part where he tries to convince us that he just hates losing that much:
"In basketball, you look at 82 regular-season games, it's easy, guys are gonna shake hands, the fact that [I didn't] do the media [session], I think that's why [the story] was all blown up, and I apologize for that, but I will not apologize for shaking nobody's hand," he said. "You never accept losing, ever."
When the reporter reminded James that most players usually shake hands at the end of a playoff series, James bristled again. "No you don't, no you don't," he responded.
After a few more seconds of back and forth, James continued to try to explain his position. "Teamwork has nothing to do with shaking hands," James said. "I'm not a poor sport at all. You can ask anyone that knows me, I'm not a poor sport at all. Who brought up the rule that shaking hands, that's what you're supposed to do? No one shakes hands at the end of series all the time. No one does that. No one does that at all."
Here's the thing: Ah, hell, there is no thing. We beat this dead horse to a bloody pulp the first time around. This is really just for the quotes, for your reading pleasure. And all it really tells us is, (a) that I have no idea what LeBron is talking about half of the time, and (b) that he is arrogant, out of touch, and delusional. But even that isn't really new.
Nothing under the sun is, right?
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Lebron zEr0 kobe 4
lebron is going to the nets next year him and jay-z have already worked out the deals. how much more bad press will come if he stays in cle and continues acting like this. i use to like lebron but hes a little too cocky now. he should take a lesson from kobe on how to be humble.
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
I think you are being over-critical of Lebron here, as has the entire media over the ‘Handshake-gate’.
I am not sure about anyone else, but I consider myself a very competitive person when it comes to sport, and the last thing I want to do after just being is beaten is congratulate those who are responsible. Now, people can talk of what they call sportsmanship, but the idea of shaking hands, in itself, naturally goes against the instincts of a competitor., as James obviously considers himself – there is no refuting this fact.
Another issue is that the gesture is often meaningless, as it is done out of necessity rather than a true symbol of one’s actual sportsmanship. Just take Kobe last year, for example: did anybody not think that he was congratulating Boston’s players simply because he had to? I’m sure if Kobe had the choice, he would have tried to get as far away from the Celtic celebrations as he could. Thus, if the player does not want to partake in handshaking, where is the sincerity, and therefore purposefulness, of the act?
So, if the act is both uninstinctual, and, in many cases, pointless (as there is little sincerity in it), why should the act be taken with such gravity as the media have portrayed it as having?
I empathize with LeBron: with all the expectations placed on himself, by both others and (most likely) himself, coming up short of his intended goal must have extremely crippling, and he shouldn’t be allowed to be negatively judged just because he didn’t follow a redundant norm due to the extraordinary stakes (a place in the Finals) at the time.
Anyways, just my two cents, and I’d be glad to hear on a follow-up to my comment.
Because it is exactly when we throw out even trying to be sportsmanlike that the sport becomes ugly and even street ball-esque.
Look, I understand that he’s a “competitor.” But competition and sportsmanlike character are not mutually exclusive. Of course everyone feels frustrated after a loss, but who are you going to have more respect for? A person who walks away thinking ill thoughts and frustrated, or a guy who swallowed his pride and at least tried to congratulate the other team? Another way to look at it is, would you want your kid who idolizes Lebron to see that? Would you even advocate that to your kid under the mantra of being “true to your heart” and “sincere”?
It’s true that Lebron is a superstar, and thus has higher expectations than everyone else. That may or may not be unfair, but that’s reality. Regardless, it’s an issue of maturity. Sincerity of the act people say? “I won’t do this because it won’t feel sincere anyways.” Really? Are we sincere everytime we say thank you, do a chore to serve our parents/children/spouse, as if we only do it because our heart gushes with joy doing it? No! There are responsibilities that we just have. Yes, sincerity is important, but sometimes we just have to suck it up and do what we know is right, even when we don’t want to. Do we really think that what was going on through Lebron’s mind when refusing the handshake was being “competitive” and “sincere”? Come on now.
Now with all that said, I am not defending the importance or sincerity of the handshake, nor do I think that Lebron is a horrible person at all. However, I think that like the young Kobe, he is still somewhat immature and has a lot of room to grow, both in his game and as a person. I really look forward to seeing Lebron play in the future and become one of the faces of this league, but not without being a class act.
I don’t mean any offense to you reggy, just wanted to get my thoughts out there too as I feel pretty strongly about this as well as it also relates to general NBA and American culture. I welcome your thoughts as well.
by FromDowntown on Aug 12, 2009 12:40 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I started to type a response to reggy, but you summed it up perfectly.......
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Agree with From Downtown
I actually was also about to write the same points. Great summary by downtown.
part of maturity is doing what is right even if you do not want to. sincerity is important, but that is not an excuse not to do the right thing. more often than not, starting from childhood, we are taught to do what is right despite our feelings and through the experience and generally maturity over time we come to develop a sincere motive in all we do.
It is unfortunate not Lebron is so into his own self at the moment feeling justified for what he did. Someone close to him needs to just tell him, hey seriously, that wasn’t the right thing to do. just apologize. The more he talks about this, the more he comes off as arrogant and lost in his own rationalization.
Having said that, he is still young and I hope all the fame and money doesn’t give him a sense of entitlement, rather than he matures to be a thankful, humble class act.
get off me bandwagoners!
http://blog.cleancutmedia.com
by cleancutmedia on Aug 12, 2009 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
to be honest with you...
…you’re probably right. Not shaking hands is not a big deal. Here are my issues with what Lebron is saying:
1) He seems to be implying that shaking your opponents hand is “accepting losing”. It’s not. It’s acknowledging that you got beat. I think there’s a difference between those two. For example: Kobe acknowledged he got beat, but he definitely didn’t accept losing in the 2008 finals and he came back on a tear and led his team to a championship the next year.
2) Claiming that people don’t shake hands in the NBA is ridiculous, because they do…
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
It's not an apology
If you don’t feel bad about doing it.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions
He only apologized about the media
Which he did feel bad about doing.
He didn’t apologize about the hand shaking because he doesn’t think it is a big deal.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
It's not a big deal
But it’s something, and reveals something about him.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions
heat of the moment is one thing...
But one is supposed to show better judgment after heads have cooled.
So, to the extent that it matters, I can forgive LeBron for not shaking hands after the series. (I think Kobe has also done that, but I don’t remember for sure.) I can even forgive him for skipping out on the media session, actually. Take the fine, and whatever; lots of people have done that.
What I do find disappointing about his behavior is coming back the next day and saying that it’s just not something you do (shaking hands). Maybe I missed something, but didn’t he shake the hands of the teams the Cavs beat on the way to the ECF? Even if he didn’t, didn’t his teammates? Or did everybody just walk off the court? And now he’s continuing to promote this fantasy that people don’t shake hands at the ends of series. It’s more than petulant, it’s just weird.
Sportsmanship is not being gracious when it is easy to be gracious (when you win). It takes a good sportsman to be gracious even when your every inclination is to be ungracious, when all you want to do is scream out your frustration and never look at your opponents again as long as they live. No one denies you the right to feel however you feel, but mature people can set aside those feelings at some point and act accordingly. It’s got nothing to do with insincerity, and everything to do with being enough of an adult to say to yourself and to others, “There are other people in this world besides me.”
Yes, I agree, the act (or lack thereof) got too much attention. As I say, LeBron’s human—I can totally understand him not shaking the Magic players’ hands after the series. But continuing to defend that, and furthermore to justify it with this…bizarre assertion that it’s not a tradition to shake hands at that point—it’s just strange. And unsettling.
by BrianTung on Aug 12, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well said +1
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 12, 2009 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions
One natural contrast would be with the 'Bad Boy' era Pistons' loss to the Bulls
The Cavs’ elaborate introductions when they were really feeling their oats last year were probably more obnoxious than this handshake thing. Weren’t they? And didn’t LeBron get a little too Dan-Majerle-taking-reverse-granny-half-court-shots-during-breaks loose during blowout wins, too? Why is this handshake deal the one you’re stuck on?
Pouting after he lost that series doesn’t even measure up to other examples of the same sort of thing. When the Pistons’ starters sulked out of the arena after losing the series to Chicago before the final game had ended, now that was a mark of conspicuous disrespect. By contrast we’re talking about the lack of a customary formality. That’s well short of turning your back and leaving before the clock’s even expired.
LBJ should probably just say he was so ticked off he couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror, let alone anyone else. We all hate the echo chamber of admiration stars get caught in. But this is not a huge deal.
No one is questioning Lebron’s competitiveness and defenitely no one is saying that he doesn’t have a choice whether to or not to shake hands. However, as a public figure there is one fact that is un-avoidable. Since a big part of his money comes from his public persona that means that his actions will be under an even bigger microscope and therefore whether he likes it or not, ALL of his actions in public will be looked at. Sure he has a choice not to regret it but since he makes his money off of his image we as fans have the right to critique him and he has to be mature enought to understand that there are consequences to his public actions. That is part of being a grown man. In other words he can’t expect all the love from the media and the fans when things are good and the moment he makes a mistake act as if he is correct. It is his choice to decide how to act but the choice on whether he is right or wrong is not up to him but the fans and the media. Just like him annointing himself “the chosen on”. Really? did he decide that? Jordan never decided for himself that he is the best that ever played. Sure he believe it……but the fans and media really choose to give you that title. He just needs to man up!
I dont want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Aug 12, 2009 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions
reggyray
Thats a positive different spin on it but I play sports to, basketball everyday, I’m the oldest of 8, I have 5 brothers and my brothers kick my behind every now and then, you dust yourself off and beat them the next time, I get mad because I HATE LOSING and they are younger then me, I’m what you would call a sore loser, my mom could tell you stories about how I would cry when I lost in musical chairs. It’s a game you win some, you lose some and if Kobe can shake hands, Lebron can to, no matter how fake you feel, Kobe came back with vengeance and walked away a champion, thats all Lebron had to do, soak it in and come back ready to kill the Magics.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
there are many things in life we don't "want" to do
but we do them because we have to. Lebron chose not to shake hands because he didn’t want to, and damn the etiquette.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
Oh boy, prepare for an epic shitstorm
Simply put, LeBron made a mistake. Now had he just apologized when the situation occurred, this would be a non-issue. But the fact that he keeps on feeding us with the “I’m a competitive person” argument is what is keeping this story alive. You messed up LeBron. Just own up to it and it’ll be over.
IMHO, LeBron just loves all the media attention because most of his controversies could be stopped if he just stops adding fuel to the fire. A lot of you probably disagree but this is just my opinion.
PS. My favorite LeBron quote about this Handshake-gate is the one he issued the day after. He said something about not being bitter about the loss but later on went on to say he didn’t shake hands because he was a “winner.” I’m pretty sure that makes you a sore loser LeBron.
Bingo
Don’t feel sorry for this getting blown out of proportion on Lebron. He could make it go away easily just like he did the dunk videos (or did…eventually).
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
this handshake deal is probably getting blown a bit out of proportion since it is Lebron, but REALLY? is it too hard to ask a guy to show some sportmanship, especially a guy who is supposed to be a role model?
i mean if u cant be a big enough man to offer congrats to your opponent, you can’t expect people to respect u when you are the winner. he better get used to the idea of being a good sport, cuz he isnt going to win next year either.
In Kobe we trust!
by robi s on Aug 12, 2009 3:15 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
+1
Lebrons starting to use the cubs excuse…maybe next year
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
Some additional perspective
- This is a game. It is not war. It is not a battle. The players are not mortal enemies. A team that got beat did not get beat up. They just lost A GAME.
- For much of the history of the world, even in war the defeated parties faced their victors to acknowledge their defeat in honorable fashion. And that was WAR. This is not.
- As has already been noted, Kobe has always shook hands with and congratulated those who beat him. The Boston loss was much tougher for him than the Orlando loss was for LeBron. Michael also congratulated his opponents when they won. And I’m sorry, but both of those guys hate losing a LOT more than LeBron.
- If LeBron really thinks this became an issue to the fans because he jilted the media, he’s more delusional than I thought. We couldn’t care less about the media, most of the time. We care about how he carries himself, about showing respect to your opponents, about sportsmanship and the way a role model should carry himself.
- I’m really sick and tired of LeBron thinking he can just tell us how it is, when we’re all smart enough to know it’s pure bullshit. Sorry, but I’m not dumb enough to take your word for it when you claim that 3 steps isn’t traveling, and I’m not dumb enough to believe you when you say that players don’t shake hands after games/series.
Ironic, isn’t it, that in the same ESPN article, he continues to shirk his responsibilities as a role model, and then talks about how honored he is to be a role model…
Strength & Honor
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
by Josh Tucker on Aug 12, 2009 7:18 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
One last thing
As I put in the caption, if you want respect, you give respect. LeBron clearly craves respect — see the “LBJ MVP” and “Check My Stats” t-shirts — but obviously is only interested in it when he feels it’s due to him. Not when he owes it to others.
Also, this quote:
“It’s not difficult at all [being a 20-year-old superstar],” James said. “Just go out there and you have a responsibility as a professional, and you be a professional either when you’re on the court or off the court and everything else takes care of itself.”
Take your own advice, LeBron. Be a professional, take responsibility. Show some respect, even when you get beat.
Strength & Honor
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...CHAMPIONSHIP!!!
by Josh Tucker on Aug 12, 2009 7:21 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
great posts Josh
some clever points made. Now if we could only get Buckeye Brad to see this.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
"but both of those guys hate losing a LOT more than LeBron."
That seems like somewhat of a biased statement. It might be true, but you can’t really provide any evidence that it is.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
Why is it so difficult to say "Lebron should have shaken hands"?
It’s not that controversial. It’s a matter of good manners. That’s all. He’s not an evil person, he just has bad manners. Some guys have bad manners, and make no apologies for it. Lebron just doesn’t seem to realize that he has bad manners.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Evidence
Lebron hated losing 13 out 18 losses last year (including postseason), meaning he hated losing 72.2% of the games when he lost.
Kobe hated losing 22 out of 24 losses last year, meaning he hated losing 91.6% of the games when he lost.
Even though Kobe lost more, he hated losing 19.4% more of the games he lost, and yet he shook hands in 100.0% of the games, while Lebron’s handshaking percentage was less than 100%.
All my stats are from basketball-reference.com.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 11:15 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
That's why you're the man.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
In other words
This is just a subjective statement and the people on the Cav’s blog would say that Lebron hates losing more than Kobe does.
(I do like your stats though!)
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
Prove it.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 4:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Lebron had 19 losses
They had 16 losses regular season and 4 postseason losses, but one of the reg. season losses lebron sat out, he started 81 games in the reg. season and all games in the postseason.
I was hoping no one would notice that arithmetic fail
Damn you, laker!
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 13, 2009 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions
Please leave the comparisons to Kobe out of it
When you’re talking about sportsmanship and being a role model, I’m not sure there is an exemplary star in the NBA. We can talk about what people should and shouldn’t do, but turning it into Kobe’s-better-than-your-guy is begging for that Biblical line about motes in eyes.
Garnett curses like a particularly vile sailor, and has taunted other teams with stuff like “jersey popping” after wins. Once a year in camp he punches a lesser-known teammate in practice, and in actual games he taunts the other team’s bench types to motivate himself. Kobe’s a couple of offseasons removed from one of the worst loose cannon acts we’ve ever seen in pro sports. John Stockton was among the dirtiest players on the court in his generation. Isiah and Joe Dumars walked out rather than watch the Bulls close out that old playoff series.
Grant Hill, maybe.
Lindsey Hunter, Mark Madsen, and Mike Penberthy were also class acts.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 13, 2009 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Ha.
And Christian Laettner has a big vocabulary, so as role models go….
Seriously, All Star level players who seem to behave with class aren’t that common. Talking about LeBron behaving like a petulant kid gets plenty far without holding Kobe up as a paragon of team-centric virtue and sportsmanship. He just isn’t that.
Nobody's holding Kobe to a "paragon of team-centric virtue and sportsmanship"
Heavens knows that Laker fans here have criticized Kobe for his faults.
We all know his faults and know one here has given him a free pass. Laker fans are more than aware of his actions and his flaws.
If kobe shows poor sportsmanship, fans here will call him out.
But it’s seems like you’re insistent on knocking Kobe down. The man may have his flaws but he’s not a terrible human being either. His teammates genuinely like him and vice versa (Trevor, Pau, Derek Fisher, Brian Shaw, Caron Butler, Sasha, – are all players Kobe’s good friends with, have personally mentored, or respects). He also showed grace in losing last year (which was a humiliating 39 point beat down).
Kobe’s shown his flaws before (not shaking hands with Phoenix in 2006, criticizing Drew in 2007 or asking for a trade in 2007) but as Laker fans, we can only hope he learns from his mistakes and tries to be a better person. He seems to want to do that. As fans, that’s all we can ask.
And it’s the same for Lebron. We hope he learned from his mistake, when he showed poor sportsmanship. But he didn’t and fans here are calling him out on it.
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 15, 2009 12:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Please leave the Kobe comparisons out of it???? You do know this is a Laker site, right?
You are entitled to your bullshit opinions here, but don’t start dictating what we can and can’t say here, k?
Kobe has always been a gracious winner and loser. Period. Maybe he has made a few comments during the off-season, or maybe you don’t like his on-court attitude/scowl, etc. but he has always shown class in victory and defeat.
’Kobe’s a couple of offseasons removed from one of the worst loose cannon acts we’ve ever seen in pro sports."
That’s just stupid, and you know it.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
You are looking in a funhouse mirror
Don’t think you actually read my post…. again. Just the headline, it seems like.
Neither one of us is the posting police. Nobody told anyone else not to post stuff — until you said that.
I’ve seen players go completely south off the court, but as far as taking a sledgehammer to his team on the floor? Kobe’s no saint. And as I said before, not many stars really are. Wade seems to have just inspired his team to trade for Quentin “’Round the World” Richardson.
First of all......how could I copy your quote without reading your post?
Second of all, doesn’t this:
“Please leave the comparisons to Kobe out of it”
sound like you are telling others what not to post?
Third:
“but as far as taking a sledgehammer to his team on the floor? Kobe’s no saint.”
You have said something like this 3 or 4 times now and haven’t offered one incident or ounce of proof. You hate Kobe, we get it. Do you have anything else to add?
Lastly…………..Just say what you want to say, OK. Stop digging through the thesaurus for the most unique word you can find to suit your sentence. It doesn’t make you sound smart, it makes you look like a douche…..well so does the content, so I guess you can’t do much about it.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Seems like a spoiled kid
Really, Lebron is very young. Sure he’s been a man-child since 8th grade, but the fact remains he probably doesn’t have the social maturity of other people his age. I’m not talking about sports ability, street savvy, or business sense. I’m talking about how to treat people.
He’s been raised and set on a pedestal from a very young age, taught that those around him must defer to his greatness. That’s what it appears. It’s hard to see right from wrong when you can do no wrong (in your own eyes, and the eyes of that group that surrounds and supports you).
I think we’ll give Lebron a few more years and we’ll see him develop even more into the superstar he already is athletically.
This is all opinion, nothing to back it up but watching his career, the hype, and his reaction to what are really common sportsmanship etiquette flaws. Shaking the hand of your opponent is taught from day one in little league, pop warner football, and yes, even basketball.
Different in different areas?
Yes, in little league baseball we did a cheer for the other team and slapped hands
Yes, in little league football we lined up and slapped hands
But actually, in my youth basketball programs, we never did anything like this. I’m trying to think back to a single season that it happened, and I’m not sure it did. I even had the same coach for basketball/baseball for a few seasons, but it didn’t seem to be part of the routine.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
this is clear evidence...
that Lebron was acting in the right in not shaking hands. Thank you.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
on second thought...
…how are we to trust you? Please provide evidence of this evidence.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Touche
Let me find our 15 year old videos of my playing little league sports. I will have to find some dinosaur program to put these onto the computer with so that I can upload them to the internets.
I won’t be home for a couple of weeks though, so this will take time!
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
eyewitness account
i played league ball jr.high and some high school. we always shook hands. win or lose.
i have an eyewitness account and testimony.
me. :) (and all my teammates)
get off me bandwagoners!
http://blog.cleancutmedia.com
by cleancutmedia on Aug 12, 2009 1:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Not saying you didn't
But how do you know Lebron grew up that way? Obviously I’m playing devil’s advocate a bit here, but just because something is right to you doesn’t mean it is right to someone else.
And let’s be honest, half of what we do is hogwash. Like saying good luck to an opponent. Like hell any of us actually hope they have good luck. We want their bank shots to completely miss, not go in the hoop. We don’t want them to have any luck at all, but we still say good luck. Seems silly IMO.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
I respect your right to your opinion, but...........
you do realize that about 95% of the sports world disagrees with you on this one right?
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
That it's OK to not shake hands because it's silly, etc....
I understand that we say good luck, or excuse me, or whatever even if we don’t mean it or care. That doesn’t mean we should stop, or that LBJ shouldn’t get crap for not doing them. It’s called sportsmanship, or common courtesy, or whatever.
Whether it’s silly or not isn’t the issue. The issue is that 95% of people just do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Saying God Bless you is silly when someone sneezes, but people still do it.
The problem here isn’t in the crime, it’s in the cover-up (so to speak).
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Meh, no cover up
He just doesn’t think it’s a big deal. I know lot’s of people who don’t say Bless You when someone sneezes too :-)
I understand that these are all social norms, but I also don’t hold it against someone when they choose not to obey a silly norm. I mean, I say good game to my opponents after a match, but if they don’t say it back to me I don’t really care.
I guess I just don’t get why people react so crazyily to things like this. To me, it just looks like people are trying to find faults with Lebron because he is Lebron.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
I know there is no cover up, that's why I said "so to speak".
You are so missing the point here. No one is saying he HAS to do it. We are just saying to not do it makes him and ASSHOLE. Period.
As far as trying to find faults with Lebron??? That’s funny. The media does everything they can NOT to find faults with Lebron.
Funny Blazer fan!!!!
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Lebron can do whatever he wants
I don’t care if he shakes hands or not. He’s still a beast. That’s all I care about.
Zaig
What youth basketball programs were you in? because in NY from tournament to tournament, highschool basketball, season after season, college tournaments, every basketball competition I was in for like 6 years we shook hands after games and even when you go outside and play in the park, everyone says good game, later or head nod after every basketball game I’ve played in Brooklyn NY.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
so the problem was actually your coach?
seems like it to me.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
What A Moron
The idiot does not realize that Magic and MJ shook hands, or that Larry and Magic shook hands, too.
The man is a NOT a King and neither he is not a man either.
this idiot’s never done anything to deserve any credit at all. he hasnt even been to the finals, but the media acts like he’s won 3 straight. he didnt deserve that mvp either, that should have gone to either kobe or wade.
let's not revise history here
Lebron did take the Cavs to the finals once. In 2006-2007 against the Spurs.
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 12, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Did you really get there
If you didn’t win a game (got swept) and no one watched (least watched finals in history)?
I kid. Also, considering that the MVP is a regular season award, I’d have given that to LeBron this past year too. We got the hardware that matters anyway.
The issue here is real simple.....
He shakes hands when he wins………….but not when he loses. That’s all you need to know. If he was sincere he would be consistent.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Simple explanation
The losers seek him out to shake his hand when he wins because he is that damn good.
But seriously, not to criticize the blog or anything (I don’t want to get banned from yet another one) but this is front page news? That Lebron didn’t shake hands 2 months ago and isn’t sorry about it? At least some real Lebron news occurs like if he cheats on his wife, chokes a coach, beats up a fan, or demands a trade to the Nets.
So far all the bloggers have on him is that he doesn’t shake hands and got dunked on? Really? It’s like they’re not even trying anymore.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
Zaig,
Whether or not it is “front page” news is irrelevant. There is NO news right now. It’s August 12th. NBA Dead Zone, especially when the team you root for is has just won the Chip. How long can we discuss Ron Ron twitter account or Pau’s surgery?
Everything sucks right now.
“The losers seek him out to shake his hand when he wins because he is that damn good.”
Well then he should refuse to shake their hands because they are LOSERS and he is a WINNER. Lebron don’t shake hands with no losers!!!!
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
See, I've told him this but he won't listen
Ever since I told him that the Spurs would be a pushover in the finals he’s quit listening to my advice.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
He seems like a loyal guy......
I am sure he will come back to you………………..You do live in New York right???
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
In other news.
Ohkeedoke is reporting that LeBron James lost in a pick up game, then took his ball (the only ball at the court) home. Leaving 9 players on the court, and the guy with next, twiddling their thumbs.
Actually........
The only reason they even stopped playing long enough for ’Bron to take his ball and go home is because Kobe called one of his teammates fat and lazy, got him thrown out of the park and then demanded to be traded to another rec team that plays at the park down the street.
OOOOHH!!!!
ZING!!!!!
That’s right folks. I’ll be here all week.
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 12, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions
I bet I know who that teammate was..............
do the initials S.O. mean anything to you.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
wow
I can feel the burn.
NOT.
I’ll be here all week too, in order to shoot down lame remarks like those.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
Remember when all those media were exhalting his "Maturity beyond his years"?
Yeah, definitely overrated there, just like his legacy (no chips yet, but still act like he has 5 going on 6).
LeBron James is who he is: A great player, a future HoFer, a freak of nature,and someone who is young and does stupid things.
He’s not the King. He isn’t the next Jordan (at least not yet). He’s just a kid, a young kid at that. He isn’t supposed to be that mature (kudos if he does).
Having said that, can’t wait for next season, because this piss-poor excuse of a story isn’t nearly enough to sate my appetite.
Well said
The media’s job is to completely overhype things and the average fan buys in.
Examples:
1. OMG KOBE RAPED A WHITE CHICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TRIAL SOON!
Reality: Kobe cheated on his wife with a chick who wouldn’t turn him down in a million years.
2a. OMG GREG ODEN IS TEH NEXT SHAQ!!!!
Anyone who expected Oden to produce like Shaq was in lala land. The guy wasn’t a 25 point scorer in college, why people thought he would be in the NBA is silly. Thus…
2b. OMG GREG ODEN IS TEH BUSTO!!!!!
He played 1 season coming off microfracture as a rookie, something nobody has done, and he had a PER of almost 20 when he wasn’t in foul trouble. That, and labeling anyone a bust after 1 year is silly.
3. LEBRON IS MAX MATURE BEYOND HIS YEARS, BUT HE DOESN’T SHAKE HANDS!!!
Lebron is young. Lebron is human. Young humans do things that old humans don’t always like. Deal with it
4. OMG PLAYER “X” IS GOING TO PLACE “Y” FOR PLAYER “Z” I GURANTEE IT.
Yeah… 99% of the trade rumors by the media are complete crap, but people continue to buy into it.
The list goes on forever. The media’s job is to sensationalize. The idiot’s job is to care about the sensationalization.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
Well I choose to think of myself as a knight.............maybe even a rook.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
You just can't post without mentioning a Blazer, can you??? LOL
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
I have plenty that don't :-)
That example just works so well because it goes both ways. First the media overhypes how good he will be, then they overhype how bad he is a year later.
Poster for next year? I'm thinking My Little Pony.
Hey, you have to cut us slack, our season has started...
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
You're passionate, I will give you that. (I mean Blazer fans as a whole)
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
wow
it’s called a spell checker.
You do know it’s spelled THE, right? not TEH?
And it’s GUARANTEE, not GURANTEE.
But hey, you did nail sensationalize, rape, and microfracture, so props must be given.
"The problem actually is that PER is a extra-long, double high wagon load of horse crap." - timbo (7/3/09)
lebron
im sick of lebron lebron, the man is a beast i will give him that.
freak of nature, give him that too
can jump out the building, that too
im just curious to see him when his hops start to not be so hoppy,
not to take anything away,but judging from rite now if he were to lose his hops i see him as a just a regular nba player
And that's why you're a "homer".
Give me a break, true. The guy is a once in a generation talent. He’s going to get his ring(s). He’s going to go down as one of the greatest of all time. As he gets older his game will morph (just like it did for Kobe, MJ, Bird and all the other legends) and he’ll continue to be great.
Don’t downgrade the guy’s game because he doesn’t play here. We as Laker fans should be better than that because of all the crap we catch about the current greatest player in the game, KB24.
Don’t lower yourself to the CelticsBlogs and The Dream Shakes of the world.
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 12, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions
True might be a bit overboard, but I agree with his premise..............
I think Lebron’s game relies more on physical gifts and less on talent than the others you mentioned (Kobe, MJ, Bird). I think they all had physical gifts, don’t get me wrong, but I think their greatness came from more from talent. I don’t think Lebron will be as good at 35 as MJ, Bird, or Kobe were/will be. Time will tell. Of course James could improve other aspects of his game which would be scary.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
i am a bit over board
its hard to go into detail and explain what i really want to say when my boss probably would not like the fact that i am on here in the first place, things get rushed a bit.
im just trying to point out the fact that i do think bron is an amazing player, and i don think he has reached his glass ceiling (which is scary). i just hope he keeps his head straight and keeps on trying to get better. i mean his fame can easliy get to his head where he just feels like he deserves everything to be handed down to him, and what we are left with is someone who could be the best yet didnt get there.
and i will never admit that anyone is just as good or better than kobe………………………………….. (atleast not anytime soon, although jordan is was pretty good, lol)
by true_lakerfan on Aug 12, 2009 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions
bron is a phenomenal player no doubt, an athletic freak
I’m sick of bron also just from the unmitigated HYPE… non stop. I’m sure non laker fans say the same thing about kobe, but with bron, the hype was there before he did a single thing…. Now although he’s living up to the hype in many ways, he acts like he’s reading and believing all the hype as reality, and that usual rules don’t apply to him. Spoiled is the word that describe him perfectly on so many levels .
And that is not a homerism.
What constitutes "HYPE"?
Who is “hyping” him?
The company he sells shoes for? The company that he is a brand (not unlike MJ) of that just so happens to move millions of units because of him?
The league he plays for? the league that he is a brand of and sells thousands of tickets and league passes and is at the forefront of global expansion for?
It’s easy to complain about “hype”. It’s cheap and easy to explain away why we don’t like something so we as people don’t have to look deeper for the real reason.
I think the idea that a player that has averaged 27 Pts., 7Rbds., 7 Asts., 2 Stl. a game and has taken his team to 2 ECF and 1 NBA Finals all by the age of 24 is ridiculous at best and/or blatant jealousy at worst (which makes no sense since we have Kobe).
If you can explain to me where he’s shown he’s been “reading and believing all the hype as reality”, I’d love to see it.
I don’t get all the hating, people. We as Laker fans are EXTREMELY spoiled and yet we can still be as incredibly petty as every other teams fans and rip on unquestionably one of the best players in the game today?
Puh-leeze.
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 12, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions
and yet i agree with you 100%
i didnt mean to come off as hating, ive been harsh on kobe as well in the past
by true_lakerfan on Aug 12, 2009 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions
a few thoughts
LeBron is a beast on the court. He is every bit as capable of leading a team to the title as Kobe or Wade or the early 2000s version of Shaq. I think objectively most people would have to admit that. In a basketball sense he is worth all of the “hype” he’s been getting.
That being said, I think he has also gotten—at least in the past—notice for being a mature, reasoned individual. That capital is being evaporated by LeBron, and for what? To maintain the notion that what he did in not shaking hands was not only excusable, but the noble thing to do for a winner? Shaking hands is tantamount to being OK with losing? Really, LeBron?
I don’t think it’s hating to wonder why he is so adamant about not admitting a lapse in judgment here, to the point that he’s willing to erase all of this good will he had built up. I admire LeBron as a player, and I want to like him (unless he’s facing the Lakers). As NBA fans we’re all losers if his star sheds some of its lustre.
What Brian said.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 12, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
who was hyping him? are you kidding?
nike, espn, sports illustrated, the whole sports world… before he came into the league- before he did a single thing. has he lived up to the “hype”… most definitely. is he one of the best players out there.. no doubt.
but because we laker fans are spoiled with a great player, we are above “petty” observations about lebron? sorry, i call bullshit on that- we can rip any player we want. where i see you’re coming from is that a lot of kobe fanboys rip on lebron as a way of validating kobe- that’s not what’s happening here..
if lebron is acting like a spoiled little bitch, then he’s a spoiled little bitch. i can say that and say people can make a valid point that he’s surpassed kobe as a best player. those two things can existing together.
is the fact that he’s one of the main faces of the nba make the story stay in front instead of fading- yes.. but that comes with fame. life’s a bitch. didn’t lebron say he wanted to be a global icon- well global icons have much more a spotlight than local phenom.
what makes the story go on is the completely stupid excuses he makes. frankly i could care less whether he shook anyone’s hand or bailed on the press. i’m more disgusted that he thinks that he can say whatever lameass answer he wants and that gives him a pass just because he’s lebron.
and if kobe was acting like a spoiled little bitch, then we should call that out also. this aint no fanboy bullshit
What I think is funny............
Is how YOU feel his answer to the question of shaking hands after a loss is a “lameass excuse”. Because the way YOU see things is the right way and the way he sees things is wrong? He’s answered the question the exact same way twice now. It’s how HE feels. The guy feels that when he loses he doesn’t want to shake hands after a loss. BIG FUCKING DEAL. He didn’t call out other players for doing it even though he doesn’t. He didn’t say t was right or wrong, he just said it’s the way HE feels about it. If this was coming out of Kobe every other non-fan would be hanging Kobe in effigy on every other blogspot and we’d be defending his right to feel however he wants.
“He’s just being honest”. “He’s a warrior and he’s going to get them back next year!” You know that’s the shit that would be flying all over the blog. And we’d be lapping up Kobe’s “lameass excuse”, defending him and licking our wounds after a playoff loss. YOU INCLUDED. (If you really think anyone believes you wouldn’t , you’re REALLY deluded.)
Everyone has the right to have their own beliefs and morals. It’s when people start trying to put our own beliefs and feelings on to others and explain away their feelings as “wrong” and “excuses” that people come off as petty and “Celtic-ish”.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions
You ain't from around here are you, fella?
This is America, the land of “this is the way it is because the majority says so”. Abortion is legal because the majority says so, not because it is right or wrong. Same thing with death penalty, gay marriage, etc…. We decide what is right and wrong as a whole.
We certainly have the right to give Lebron shit about his opinion if the majority of us think his actions were wrong. You can’t shoot someone and claim it isn’t a crime because YOU think murder is OK.
The truth is, he was acting like a little bitch (at least according to majority opinion), and if he wants to call him out on it, then that is his right. Just like it is your right to your opinion (even if it’s wrong, like now).
Why is it OK for you to give him shit about his opinions, but not OK for him to give HIS opinion about Lebron?
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
So by your thinking it's A-OK that the majority of people still call Kobe a "rapist" on other sites because they're in the majority?
Remember, I’ve “trolled” other sites with you previously and I know exactly what you and I wrote to other fans on this subject.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Glad to see you acknowledge that you are a troll....
You think people who call Kobe a rapist are in the majority??? It’s usually one or two asses per site. The glass is half empty in mythlegendville isn’t it.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
You’re really making yourself sound dumb, ps. We argued against this during the gamethreads on the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets sites and we were BOTH referred to as “trolls”.
If you’re going to come off as a jerk, that’s up to you.
(yes, I did have another account with the same photo.)
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I am making myself sound dumb? How.
Because I don’t think being labeled a troll, and actually being a troll are the same thing? I never said I haven’t been called a troll, I said I have never been kicked off of another site. I also don’t consider myself a troll, but apparently you do. How is that dumb? Oh I forgot you are the guy who says it and then it just becomes truth, my bad.
Why did you change your name? What did it used to be?
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
It was DJ Bento Box.
So by your rationale because I was kicked out of another team’s blogspot I’m truly a “troll” but you’re something different because you weren’t?
So other bloggers like timbo and gils, as well as myself, are something lesser for being banned?
Puh-leeze.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Comparing Timbo and Gils..........
is like comparing apples and porcupines..LOL
DJ Bento Box…………yeah, now I remember. This discussion now makes a lot more sense.
“So by your rationale because I was kicked out of another team’s blogspot I’m truly a "troll" but you’re something different because you weren’t?”
Um, actually yeah. That is my point exactly. The fact that I have visited lots of other teams blogs and commented hundreds of times without being banned does make me something different. It makes you a troll, and me not a troll. Either that or you have just run into more unreasonable moderators than I have. Could be either I guess.
DJ Bento Box……..LOL….. I don’t blame you for the name change….PS, aren’t you a chick?
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 13, 2009 9:08 PM PDT up reply actions
actually, you were the apple.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 13, 2009 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions
they actually did a poll asking who was the least liked sports figure, and Kobe ranked up there with the best of them. I wouldn’t doubt it if alot of people thought Kobe was a rapist .
In Kobe we trust!
I don't know how many THINK he is a rapist....
I was just commenting on how many are rude enough to bring it up in a basketball-hate context.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
fair enough, and people wonder why he wants to charge $25 for his site. If im Kobe I dont want to make a site where the haters can just innundate him with baseless insults.
In Kobe we trust!
robi
he doesn’t charge $25 for people to visit his site, just fans who want exclusive content. And bear in mind, that this has always been apart of his website, it isn’t new and it wouldn’t even be an issue if Kelly Dwyer made such a big deal out of it.
Also, that poll of the most disliked jocks, is just a poll – it’s not an official survey, we don’t know who took part in this poll, or how they even set up the poll – it’s not an official statistic and it certainly isn’t the final word on who people hate.
Sure Kobe’s polarizing, then again, he’s taken part in beating a lot of people’s teams and every thing he does (like something as silly as website) gets magnified, crucified and scrutinized to the last detail. He hasn’t abused dogs (as far as I know) or taken steroids (as far as I know). He’s just won a lot and has a stigma stuck on him by a very lazy media that used to portray him as a ball hog or a bad teammate.
As for the rapist comment, it’s a comment “haters” like to throw out when they can’t think up of any good reason on why Kobe’s not a great basketball player.
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 14, 2009 12:42 AM PDT up reply actions
lol u dont need to defend kobe to me. I know all that stuff, I’m one of Kobes biggest fans, but i think it would be naive to think that people don’t hate him lol. As for the poll, i really doubt it would be reported all over the news/tv if it didnt have some credibility.
In Kobe we trust!
true
I know there are Kobe haters, I’m just saying that polls are polls, they aren’t accurate. There are ways to skew data and ways to interpret numbers to go one way or the other. And it’s pretty clear that the media still enjoys ripping on Kobe. Like all those articles written over the summer about writers’ disbelief on how popular Kobe was over at China.
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 15, 2009 12:18 AM PDT up reply actions
I would not defend Kobe if he refused to shake hands.
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Aug 13, 2009 9:05 PM PDT up reply actions
i don't care enough about lebron to get sucked further into this argument
i’ve said my piece. if this is the battle that you want to go to the mattresses for, go for it, have fun. give yourself a pat on the back that you’re a “nice” laker fan. get a stamp on your card so you can carry it to the other teams sites so they can let you in on their rants.
I once saw a crappy movie...
that left a message 1 part brave
3 part foolish
its sorta similar
1 part talented
3 part retarted
Further confirmation that Lebron is a jackass.
"A bizarre and extremely rare hybrid Blazer/Laker fan, Timbo has always struggled to contain the Beast Within, like Dr. Jekyll, Bruce Banner, or Ted Kennedy." — Miled Animal
shhhhh....Zaig will hear you, he's a fiery one.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
Lebron Contradicting himself
The following quote shows his lack of maturity and common sense. It seems to me that his actions are a cheap attemtp to portray a man with conviction or that he is a person sure of himself. But he fails to notice that humility is a better quality.
I don’t regret anything that I do. The only thing I apologize for that night is not doing the media [session, after the game
Here is what I want to know. If anyone apologizes for something that they did, doesn’t that mean that he/she has some form of regret? If that’s the case, how can he say that he doesn’t regret anything that he does then immediately apologize? Huh?
I dont want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Aug 12, 2009 6:06 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Ugh.
He apologized about the media session because that’s part of his job. He knows that by Stern’s law players have to make themselves available to the media and he didn’t. This wasn’t anything having to do with his “morals” or blatant “contradiction”, it was a mistake at his job. He used the wrong terminology when he spoke. That’s all.
Wow. Winning a championship can REALLY make us Laker fans come off as pompous asses, can’t it?
Is there any wonder why we’re so hated on these blogspots? It’s starting to become a lot clearer.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions
“Wow. Winning a championship can REALLY make us Laker fans come off as pompous asses, can’t it?”
Only one of us so far.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
You're reaching PS.
We got kicked off the CelticBlogs site for giving opinions that weren’t what the “majority” wanted to hear and now I’m getting shouted down on my own team’s site the same way by someone who suffered the same fate as me?
I think it’s becoming a lot clearer which one of us is seeming like more of a pompous ass now.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Aug 13, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Funny how it gets clearer after each of YOUR posts, isn't it?
“We got kicked off the CelticBlogs”
I have never been kicked off of any blog, have you? You can check my post history, I have posted many hundreds of times on many "rival’ blogs sites. Still haven’t been kicked off. Must be luck.
You either ripped off someones picture or changed your name, cause I have seen that pic before. Am I wrong?
However if you are going to continue to support Lebron’s crap by comparing it to Kobe’s crap then you aren’t going to make many friends here.
I didn’t say you weren’t entitled to your opinion, I just said you shouldn’t suppress others opinions yourself. Maybe you haven’t actually read my posts yet.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
er ... I OBJECT!
and I don’t think any Laker fan here is trying to sound pompous or anything, nor has winning a championship made us feel high and mighty. None of us has gone to other rival blogs to rub it in their faces, I certainly haven’t.
I think it’s okay for us to say Lebron’s excuse/lack of apology for not shaking hands is weak.
We’re not saying he’s a bad player.
Just that there’s a difference between poor sportsmanship and good sportsmanship.
When you lose, you lose gracefully. Especially after a PLAYOFF series. Shaking hands is generally what happens after a playoff series. You congratulate the victor and move on. the Nuggets did the same for the Lakers. Kobe did the same to the Celtics. It’s a sign of respect and understanding that it’s just a game.
Lebron’s excuse that no one shakes at the end of a series is weak. It’s really really weak. Because from what I’ve seen, Jordan shook hands time and time again after the Pistons beat his Bulls but he still shook those Piston players hands when they beat his team. When the Bulls finally beat the Pistons and those Piston players sulked off without even a congrats or handshake to Jordan, how do you think that made him feel?
I think as human beings, winning is easy, losing is the hardest. Lebron, in a difficult moment, made the wrong choice of not shaking hands with the victors and that’s fine. But after a considerable amount of time, to defend that poor sportsmanship, because let’s be honest here, it was, with such a bad bad excuse, it’s understandable why fans just don’t understand how hard it is for him to say he erred there, because he did. And to come up with such a lame excuse? It’s unfortunate, that’s all.
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Aug 14, 2009 12:53 AM PDT up reply actions
To Tehmanthemyththelegend,
It really doesn’t matter to me about being hated on other blogspots. That is just your point of view or opinion. You are also generalizing and putting all Laker fans in the same category by saying that we are all pompous assess. it doesn’t change anything the fact that you tried to include yourself in your generalization. Either way, it is comments like that why people get kicked out of other blogs and personally if another blog kicks me out for stating my own point of view then I rather not be part of it. It would be best if you state your opinion and move on. We are not going to agree on it but when you get the point of insulting a group of fans you have to ask yourself, is that really necessary? If you delete that comment your post makes perfect sense but with it you make yourself to like the ass!
I dont want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Aug 14, 2009 6:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Before I start reading comments made above, my whole stance on this is
at least Lebron is consistant with his story and to use the regular season of not shaking opponets hands to cover your behind for not shaking your opponets hand in the playoffs is brilliant and you gotta give Lebron kudos for making excuses. All I know is the day he finally wins something I hope that team who loses to him, just walks right pass his behind without shaking his hand, we will see how he feels then. Oh and other thing Karma is a Bitc*, do on to others as they shall do on to you.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
If he has never shooken hands before...
then I’m surprised the media has only focused on it now, since he’s had many playoff exits before…
The K Brothers from LA Times said it best when they said:
“Whatever legs these stories have enjoyed came courtesy of a guy either too clueless or too arrogant about why they were even stories in the first place.”
I think that is everyone's point here (well not manmythlegend).
We know people screw up, we just expect an apology, or even an acknowledgment. Lebron can’t seem to come up with either.
Well, sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch! You just shot an unarmed man!.......Well, he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend. – Will Munny
lol whats done is done. Sure the easy/right thing to do would have been to shake hands and be a good sport, but if Lebron is gonna stick to his guns he has a right to. He just has to be prepared for the public tongue lashing he is going to get.
It’s also blown a bit out of proportion its not like he killed someone while drunk driving, but just cuz its lebron we expect him to be the perfect individual. Sure my respect for him went down a little, but if he wants to go down this unsportsmanlike path, its his perogative. As a society, we have to learn to pick our battles, getting a DUI is a much bigger offense than not shaking peoples hands, and yet those offenses go by the way side.
In Kobe we trust!
Sure hope my kids don't emulate him in youth sports
I’d ban them from the game myself if they refuse to shake the other team’s hands if they lose. (or at least take away the cell phone if they insist they were right to not shake hands)
Anyways, We should cut the queen a break. LeBron will have plenty of opportunity to practice shaking hands after a loss after gaining the Big Toker from the Suns. No more practice for that team after 4:10.
it’ll be interesting to see what the fall out is once the season actually comes, by that I mean are other players gonna act differently towards him
In Kobe we trust!
I know I would if I was a player
because they can congratulate him when he wins but he can’t congratulate them, No way not happening, these coming playoffs if anyone shakes his hand, I will be surprised and call them a sussy because you got to think of yourself as equal to him not below him, and if he can’t show you respect then you shouldn’t show him respect. But maybe everyone in the NBA doesn’t feel that way and will give Lebron a pass but Orlando shouldn’t at all.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
on second though
I actually kind of hope orlando (or other teams) would shake his hand (if they lose) to show that they actually have sportsmanship and will not stoop down to being unsportmanlike just because LBJ showed bad sportsmanship.
thats true
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
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