LeBron James is indisputably one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived — with a strong case to claim he’s alone at the top. James has been a paragon of skill and effort for 20 years in the NBA, and he’s about to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history as he closes in on a record long held (and thought unbreakable) by the hoops legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
On top of his, James is a billionaire — a successful business man and rising entertainment industry mogul.
But wait, there’s more — as they say in the infomercials. NBA OG Draymond Green was recently talking about how fans still don’t appreciate James enough as far as how he conducts himself. “For what he’s done, for what he’s doing, on and off the court, there’s never been a better face of the NBA, and I’m not sure there ever will be a better face of the NBA,” Green said.
Lately James sounds as if he agrees with Green about being mistreated — James sometimes feels underappreciated, even put-upon, at least as he expresses himself in his tweets.
The most recent example of James’s self-pitying side is a cryptic tweet James issued after the Lakers failed to bring Kyrie Irving, his former teammate, to Los Angeles after Irving requested a trade out of Brooklyn.
Maybe It’s Me
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 6, 2023
James didn’t say what he meant when he tweeted: “Maybe it’s me.” There was no direct reference to Irving going to the Dallas Mavericks instead. But woe is me was implicit in the tweet. And fans ridiculed King James for what looked like his self-pity.
Referring to James’s chief rival for the GOAT title, one responder wrote: “Jordan would never emo tweet.“
In between “man’s tweeting like a middle school girl” and “he been listening to t swift” the reactions were less than sympathetic. “LeCrying,” writes one fan, using the common phrasing that comes with LeBron LeChatter. “LeDrama,” writes another.
“Goats don’t do this smh,” writes another.
There are some comments that defend LeBron’s right to be disappointed, placing the blame on Lakers GM Rob Pelinka for not trading four picks and three players for the commitment-challenged Irving, who will be a free agent this summer.
Someone points out that James is the team captain, and he already got the player he wanted most in Anthony Davis. How many stars does he need?
That one hurt BIG TIME!!! I don’t understand
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 29, 2023
LeBron also feels that the refs are against him and the Lakers, rightly complaining about some missed calls but claiming it only happens to his team. Possible? Maybe, but doesn’t scan that the leading scorer in history has been mistreated by the referees.
Just a month ago, James posted “Just needed people to believe in me!” People have believed in him. His fans are hoping he can see it. His teammates too — they need a leader.