Friday, March 19, 2021

Knucklehead

LeBron James, you are a knucklehead.

Yes, you are admittedly one of the greatest basketball players to ever lace up hightops. But you're still a knucklehead.

Gone are the days of Larry, Magic, Russell, and Kareem - guys who let their play speak for itself. They just went out there night after night and played hard. If they won an MVP, icing. If they didn't, congratulations to the guy who did. No whining. No sour grapes. No excuses.

Nowadays we have guys like you who say, "I should have more than four."

Maybe you should have won more than four. But saying so makes you sound childish and whiny.

Don't get me wrong, LeBron. I was a fan...until THE DECISION.

What hokum. What travesty. But you had to have all the world looking at you, didn't you? I passed it off as a high school stunt and gave you the benefit of the doubt, even though I thought it was a cowardly decision to leave Cleveland to become one of the Big Three.

But you redeemed yourself shortly thereafter, at least in my eyes, by going back and bringing that beleaguered city a championship. Good for you! Only to leave again. And I thought Kevin Durrant's "decision" was lowly.

To chase another ring like that is lower than low...especially by going to LA.

What if we all left our jobs because it got too hard to win? That's not the America I was taught to love. When you're down you grit your teeth and work harder.

I had a boss once. We'll call him Mike (not his name). He didn't hold a job longer than 8 to 10 months because he was always leaving to chase money or a higher position. He might have all the money he'll ever need now, but he doesn't have the respect of those around him. You get what you pay for.

That's the way I feel about you and your ilk. Money chasers. Ring chasers. It's the ring or no-thing. What happened to guys like Derek Jeter or Cal Ripken or, in your arena, Magic, Bird, Russell, Stockton, Reggie? Go to a city and play your heart out. If you win a championship...GREAT!! If you don't, the people love you anyway and you never have to buy another dinner in your life.

And now this. Knucklehead. Immature. Insert your favorite childish voice here. "I should have more than four."

There's no doubt you're great, LeBron. But let your actions speak for that...not your words. If you do, you'll be even greater.

I guess maturity comes with age. And you don't have enough of it under your belt yet.

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