That is extremely well stated. All the rest prior sounds like blah blah blah and was a waste of good keyboard life, but at the end in crunch time you turned it on.

Untrue. I’m thrilled he doesn’t play for my team. He is a colossal choke artist and I find him despicable as a person. I would hate myself for rooting for such a douche.

Miami wants the 2 seed. Then they’ll only have to get past either the 76er/Knicks and then the Pacers to reach the ECF. They don’t want to go through the Bulls AND the Celtics to reach the Finals again. I guess Thibs isn’t concerned? He should be. Boston looks like they’re gelling at the right time.

He doesn’t want to have the pressure on him to perform.
- Again, based on what? He may not perform well under the pressure but that’s not the same thing.

When he first signed on in Miami, I remember him saying how happy he was that he didn’t have to play great all the time to win; not really something I can imagine the other greats saying.
- Even if others wouldn’t say it, it’s true and they would think it, and we shouldn’t knock a guy for being honest.

Your second paragraph is a rumor, but if true, yes, it’s super dickish. Valid point.

Third paragraph to me is similar to a lot of what I hear about LeBron, something like “I get the impression he feels [some way].” Maybe, maybe not, but it’s your impression and you don’t know the man.

He’s really, really good and doesn’t play for the team that I cheer for.
- This is the actual primary reason everyone doesn’t like LeBron. All the other stuff you said is stuff that someone who roots for the team he played for would talk themselves into. Just like people pretended Jordan wasn’t a total dick with a gambling problem who punched his teammates in the face. We’ve managed to change that into “competitive spirit.” And how me and the rest of the sucker Laker fans talk ourselves into Kobe.

The Colts? No. They didn’t trade Freeney, Mathis or Wayne for a guy who was on IR like the Warriors did. The NFL is far to competitive for jobs to tank. Yes, you get a Randy Moss every once in awhile but that’s few and far between. If a coach sees you loaf in the NFL the non-guaranteed contracts get you packing pretty quickly.

To prove the point that the Colts didn’t tank, they sent the head coach and GM packing. It makes no sense to tank, presumably with the owners knowledge, and have him fire you.

I don’t think Mark Jackson or Larry Riley will suffer the same fate.

That, combined with the whispers you hear about how he lives above the rules of every other player. I read a story about a photographer (can’t remember his name, but he was pretty well known and said he had photographed just about every famous modern athlete ever). He said that he wasn’t even allowed to talk to Lebron. Lebron showed up to the shoot with about 25 people, and he had to give instructions to a guy standing next to Lebron, and then he would tell Lebron what to do. That’s the kind of stuff that makes you really dislike someone.

What really seals the deal for me is the giant “choosen one” tattoo that adorns his back. For me, that tells me all I really need to know about a guy. When you hear the stories about the work ethic of guys like Jordan and Kobe, they knew you had to work yourself stupid to be great. I get the feeling that Lebron thinks someone should just hand him a trophy because he’s the king. That’s not to say he’s not a hard worker, but he just doesn’t seem to get it to me. He always has the look on his face when things don’t go his way like he just doesn’t understand why the other team didn’t just stop playing to let him win.

Too long, I know. But that’s why I don’t like the guy. That, and he’s really, really good and doesn’t play for the team that I cheer for.

And you’re saying NFL teams don’t tank? Catch any Colts games last year?

Not to the extent or duration that’s done in the NBA. Tom Brady isn’t sitting out in week 12. Home field is viewed far more importantly in the NFL to sit a star player. That seldom happens before week 15. Since the NFL is far more violent it’s understood.

And the tanking that goes on every year in the NBA by multiple teams? That doesn’t happen in the NFL. Glad you didn’t try to defend that though.