Skip to main content

What we witnessed from LeBron is bad for sports

LeBron James is a great basketball player.

He has an MVP award, numerous endorsements and millions of fans everywhere.

But he's also a poor loser.

We witnessed his actions after the Cavaliers lost to the Magic on Saturday, eliminating them from the playoffs. And what he did speaks louder than any commercial.

James walked off the court, didn't shake anyone's hand from the Magic, let along congratulate them, and blew off the press.

The NBA doesn't need to have a line form at the end of the series and have the players shake hands like they do in hockey.

I will admit, though, that hockey has the best tradition around.

But what James didn't do, was something that goes all the way back to Little League. You shake a person's hand after a game.

Here's what James had to say Sunday, a day after his Cavs lost, trying to explain his actions:

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them. I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."


When did James win anything? He's not won an NBA championship. He blew off the college game. If you count high school, his resume is a little better than Michelle Wie's.

James was built up as a savior for the Cavaliers. And, indeed, he's turned that franchise around. But he hasn't brought that beloved championship to the city of Cleveland.

He's a better Clyde Drexler with a hype machine promoting his every move.

Now, don't get me wrong, being compared to Drexler isn't meant as a bad thing.

Drexler had a Hall of Fame career and won an NBA championship. James is bound for the Hall. But a championship?

Drexler took a Blazers team to the NBA Finals once, as did LeBron. Both lost.

Drexler needed Hakeem Olajuwon to win a title. And like Drexler, James will need some help to win a title.

More important, however, is that James needs to learn some manners.

Here's a quick person to emulate: Rafael Nadal.

After Nadal lost at the French Open, ending his 31-match winning streak in Paris, Nadal was ever the sportsman.

"I must accept my defeats with the same level of calm that I accept my victories," he said.

Are you listening, LeBron?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Are the Steelers the team no one wants to face?

Embed from Getty Images There's a label attached to the Steelers this postseason: The team no one wants to face. Don't buy it? Monday Morning QB thinks so . Andy Benoit says an explosive passing game and creative defense makes Pittsburgh the most dangerous team in the AFC. I don't think the Ravens had any problems facing the Steelers two weeks ago. But, hey, the Ravens aren't in the playoffs, right? The problem with the Steelers is the defense. They might be creative, as Benoit suggests, but they're also vulnerable to the big play. The team seems to play up -- or down -- to its competition. So, again, there are no Ravens in the playoffs, so they can't be accused of playing down. However, the Steelers have to like their chances with the Bengals on Saturday. One Vegas line on Sunday night had Pittsburgh as a small favorite. Does that mean the Steelers could play down to Cincy? I'm sure the Steelers will be fired up. And it is the po

It was a Burfict ending for the Steelers against the Bengals

Embed from Getty Images I've never seen an ending like that . Oh, sure, I've seen games play out like the scoring summary did from Saturday night's unbelievable wild-card game. Steelers take a 15-0 lead. It looks like they have the game in hand. The Bengals take the lead late in the game. The Steelers win it with a field goal in the waning seconds. That doesn't quite sum it up, does it? Not this game. Not the way it unfolded. Let's get back to the 15-0 part. Martavis Bryant gave the Steelers that lead with an incredible TD catch from Ben Roethlisberger. He actually caught it with his butt. I'm not sure how that was a football move -- but I digress. At that point, it looked like the Steelers were in control. Then Vontaze Burfict took over for the Bengals. Yeah, that guy. Burfict sacked Roethlisberger at the end of the third quarter, knocking Big Ben out of the game. Embed from Getty Images But all the Ste

Don't compare the Steelers to last year's playoff team

Embed from Getty Images I'm already hearing talk about this year's playoff is unfolding like last year. You know how that went: The Steelers lost their starting running back in Week 17, then lost in the wild-card round against a divisional opponent. This year, DeAngelo Williams was injured in Week 17. And the Steelers face a divisional opponent -- the Bengals. That's where it stops. Williams has a sprained ankle, and is considered day-to-day. They also face an opponent that has a rich history -- of losing in the postseason. That's not to suggest that this game is a gimmie and the Steelers should book a trip to Denver. This will present it's share of challenges, namely A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert. The Steelers will need to slow them down, no matter who's throwing the ball. But, if A.J. McCarron is behind center, that should be in favor of the Steelers -- also something different from a year ago.