EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH!
Are we cool? Are we cool? Ok, good.
Now look. Everybody in the world now has an opinion on LeBron James. Most of it has been pretty negative, and rightfully so. We've never seen anything like this, as far as an athlete holding the entire sports media hostage at his (or her. *stifles laughter*) behest. People also now have the perfect foil for his behavior in how Kevin Durant signed his new 5-year deal.
But let's hold on a minute. Are people all up in arms because he has his own hour-long ESPN LeBronathon? I mean, I don't necessarily care for it, but it also doesn't exactly affect me. I won't be watching. I can do any number of productive things with my life OTHER than sit on my couch and tear my hair out wondering where someone is going to play basketball in the fall.
There wasn't this much indignation when Bron was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16, or was buying his mom an H2 before he had signed with a team. And what about the Buzz Bissinger book, movie, and accompanying soundtrack? We're used to seeing athletes in shitloads of commercials, so really, how is this all that different? Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson have reality shows. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh hired a film crew to follow them around throughout the last two weeks. Spike Lee followed around Kobe for "Kobe Doin' Work."
LeBron using media time to announce where he will play next year doesn't make him any different. It's just makes him a planner. Say he did it at a press conference at noon today. Do you really think that every news station wouldn't cut live to is, then ESPN would devote at least an hour to discussing it? Of course they would. Might as well have some sort of control in the operation.
Don't like it? Don't watch it. Don't like LeBron? There are plenty of people like you out there, just look in Boston, D.C., Detroit, Chicago, or any other Eastern Conference city that has seen him torch their team.
I like him because he's good at basketball. I'll devote an hour of my time watching him when he does that.
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