LeBron needs to grow up !

**Cydkar** · 06-01-2009, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by coachdags

Apparently both LeBron and Mo Williams stormed off court after the loss with no respect to the Orland Magic Team and Coaches. There are a lot of young kids that look up to these guys, these actions are disturbing and sad.

Young kids have parents. My kid loves LeBron but what he does after a loss is irrelevant.

People get bored with stars when they are boring and sterile but once they do something semi-controversial they get pounded. People are just jealous. Seriously, who gives a damn how he responds to a bitter loss?

**BryceC** · 06-01-2009, 07:41 AM

Completely agree with num1 and Cydkar. Could this be more of a nonstory?

**Clonegrad07** · 06-01-2009, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by HiltonMagic

The guy is ultra competitive and his team sucked. Give him a break about being ****** that they lost.

This is BS.... no matter the instance, I will never accept that excuse from the kids I coach, I don't know why LeBron would be any different. I am a terrible loser because I hate it more than anything, but I ALWAYS go shake hands with the other guys.... Grow up.

**Clonegrad07** · 06-01-2009, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Cydkar

Young kids have parents. My kid loves LeBron but what he does after a loss is irrelevant.

People get bored with stars when they are boring and sterile but once they do something semi-controversial they get pounded. People are just jealous. Seriously, who gives a damn how he responds to a bitter loss?

Kids HEAR about this and think it's ok. LeBron did it. I expect EVERYONE to shake hands. We don't say it's ok for little Jimmy to storm off the field because he's ******. Why is ok for LeBron to do it?

**Angie** · 06-01-2009, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by jumbopackage

*Yawn*. It's the NBA. It's chock full of self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing, selfish players.

TO or OchoCinco would fit in just perfectly there.
Why does this surprise anyone?

The same could be said of athletes in all pro sports. I think Coach's point is that it doesn't make it right, and it really doesn't make you a good role model for the millions of little kids who love you.

Professional athletes are willingly putting themselves in the spotlight, and are getting paid MORE than fairly for it. They lose the ability to complain about not having privacy at that point.

That aside, I personally don't care.

**SSSSState** · 06-01-2009, 08:22 AM

Maybe it was the classy thing to do to cool off a little bit and not say something he would regret about his teammates? Also if the NBA wanted teams to shake hands when a series is over they would have a handshake line like the NHL. They are so paranoid about fights they probably prefer the teams clearing the court ASAP like the regular season.

**IcSyU** · 06-01-2009, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Angie

Professional athletes are willingly putting themselves in the spotlight, and are getting paid MORE than fairly for it. They lose the ability to complain about not having privacy at that point.

He gets paid to play basketball and wear Nike crap, not shake hands.

**Cydkar** · 06-01-2009, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Clonegrad07

Kids HEAR about this and think it's ok. LeBron did it. I expect EVERYONE to shake hands. We don't say it's ok for little Jimmy to storm off the field because he's ******. Why is ok for LeBron to do it?

My kid heard about it, asked me about it, and I told her not to do it. End of discussion.

I know a couple of boys that mimic WWF (or whatever it is now) and jump all over furniture wrestling with each other. I don't blame the WWF wrestlers at all.

If LeBron's goal is to parent other people's kids then I agree, he should have acted differently.

People love to complain about pro athletes. I can't think of a bigger waste of time.

**cmoneyr** · 06-01-2009, 08:34 AM

I hardly ever see NBA teams shake hands after a game, the loser always heads straight for the locker room.

**cloneatlaw** · 06-01-2009, 08:37 AM

Total non-story. We have no reason to believe that yesterday the guy didn't personally call every member of the Magic including the towel boy congratulating them for their accomplishment. Why must he wait for the Magic to stop celebrating, line up and congratulate them then when emotions are highest on both sides? Tell your kids that LeBron has a cell phone and a lot of free time on his hands for the next few months, and if they want to personally call the members of the other team after a loss they can storm off pre-hand shake as well.

**acrozier22** · 06-01-2009, 08:39 AM

This is not a big deal at all. Lots of NBA, NFL, and all MLB players do this. Get off your soap box.

**JP4CY** · 06-01-2009, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by mcblogerson

Watching Howard wildly swing his elbows at the Cavs frontcourt, then taunt them and get T'd up seems a lot more classless to me.

I don't think that it was all that much of a taunt. It was relief that he finally got the basket and did a "yeah" forearm pump. And the NBA took that technical away. I would do one of those too every now and then. You think Dwight Howard is classless, did you see Mo Williams throw a basketball right at him when he had his back turned? That's classless.
Check out Dwight's charitable causes and personal faith, I think you might change your mind.

**mplscyclone** · 06-01-2009, 08:58 AM

I'd rather see LeBron ****** off after losing, than Kobe act like it's no big deal and make excuses. Kobe will just smile in the camera and be like "we didn't come ready to play".

That said, LeBron needs to mature and Kobe needs to quit being a tool. Neither will likely happen

**iccyfan** · 06-01-2009, 09:01 AM

This thread is proof positive that the social morals of this country are changing fast. Michael Jordan & the Bulls struggled to get past the Pistons for several years; when they finally did it Isiah Thomas bolted for the locker room without offering congratulations. Thomas had won several championships and was a "face" of the NBA, yet the press did not spare him. Now it appears the majority of contributors to this thread think "poor sportsmanship" is OK...

Contrast this scene with the Georgia / Washington softball WS elimination game played last night (on ESPN2). I only caught the last inning; Wash had a large lead but the Georgia players were CELEBRATING the end of a successful season. I thought they were a little over-the-top but was impressed the team had perspective on life...