LeBron's Arrogance (Not to mention sexism)

[Redz]

I broke a woman's nose playing hoops one time.  Boy did I feel like a jerk.

I don't think there would be any problem with "babying" a female player with fouls etc...If she's out there competing she's just another player.  If anything she might played more physically just to prove she's not getting treated lightly.

[Eja117]

This is just Stern being Stern. Of course Stern is going to say a woman may be in the league in ten years. And there'll be a team in London. And Chine. And the moon. And the officiating will be good too.

If you ask Stern if a blind guy with a seeing eye dog will play he'll say yes. Ask him if a midget will play and he'll say yes.

Then they ask Lebron "Hey Bron. Your boss just said there'll be a midget in the league in ten years" and suddenly Lebron is like "Wait. He did? Sterny said that? Really? Like in the lifetime of my career? Gee.  I don' know."

Yep. That Lebron fellow. Very intelligent and very candid he is.  You really got to pay attention not just to what he says but what he doesn't say. Notice how he didn't say that a sumo wrestler wouldn't not play during his career? It's all about him I tell ya.

[xmuscularghandix]

You can say i'm sexist but i hope this never happens. How can the game be properly played with girls out there? Rondo and KG coming down the floor, a two on one, Candace Parker back to defend.... KG DUNKS IN HER FACE! Then Candace Parker goes flying into the padding of the hoop.... i don't want anything to do with this.

[Redz]

This is just Stern being Stern. Of course Stern is going to say a woman may be in the league in ten years. And there'll be a team in London. And Chine. And the moon. And the officiating will be good too.

If you ask Stern if a blind guy with a seeing eye dog will play he'll say yes. Ask him if a midget will play and he'll say yes.

Then they ask Lebron "Hey Bron. Your boss just said there'll be a midget in the league in ten years" and suddenly Lebron is like "Wait. He did? Sterny said that? Really? Like in the lifetime of my career? Gee.  I don' know."

Yep. That Lebron fellow. Very intelligent and very candid he is.  You really got to pay attention not just to what he says but what he doesn't say. Notice how he didn't say that a sumo wrestler wouldn't not play during his career? It's all about him I tell ya.

except he'd call them "Little People" because it would be the politically correct way to say it.

He could look here (btw, it's kind of sick that there are places like this - who the hell hires a midg..er..little person for a party or promotional event?)

http://www.rentamidget.com/index.html

[ManUp]

A female coach is more likely and I don't see that happening anytime soon...

[rrc589]

I am by no means a fan of LeBron, but I think it's kind of a stretch to say he's being arrogant in those statements.

[furball]

2 things...

1) As has been said, LeBron wasn't being ego-centric, he was pointing out how short a period of time 10 years was.  

2) There are lots of issues with women playing in the NBA (like if they can do that then why can't men playin the WNBA) but the possibility is there.  Hell, There's at least one who I think could probably do it now, and it's not Parker.  

While watching my beloved Phoenix Mercury win thier second championship in 3 years it kept occuring to me that Diana Taurassi could probably be Eddie house.  They are the same size, she's at least as good of a shooter as he is, she's a much better passer and ball handler then he is (though still not good enough to play the one)The fact that she couldn't defend anyone is offset by the fact that Eddie can't either.  The problem is why would she want to be a role player off the bench in the NBA when she is the MVP of the WNBA. (not to mention a dominate player in the Russian league she plays in).  Of course Taurassi has said that she believes A woman would not be able to handle the daily physicality of the NBA abn

If a Woman is going to play in the NBA it will be a guard, as has been said, we are a long way off from a 6-10 plus woman being able to physically compete with bigs in the NBA.        

[OriginalODb]

I hate LeBron but honestly, in this case, I can't say as I disagree with him. $0-50 years from now....maybe. Ten years from now. No way. Won't happen.

That's a strange comment to me Nick.  What is going to happen to women 40-50 years from now that couldn't happen in 10 years.   Are you expecting some form of superwoman emerging then that couldn't exist now.  It seems just as likely that a 10 year old right now might have that extraordinary mix of skill, strength and coaching as it would be that such a female will be born 30 years from now.  

No...but I never say never when it comes to changes in skill, society, technology or even evolution. Asked someone 60 years ago if women would have their own professional basketball league which millions of people would follow on television and people would have laughed at you.

/quote]

I'm kind of laughing at that now, the WNBA gets horrible ratings

As a female, I think women in the NBA is a terrible idea. Maybe back in the day, when the game was more of a finesse game. But it's so physical nowadays, can you really envision Candace Parker going up against a player like Dwight Howard?

If David Stern was so concerned about female basketball players, why isn't he more involved with the promotion of the WNBA?

I think he's tried like hell to promote the WNBA. There are tons of commercials, a deal with ESPN, that lame contest in the NBA all-star game, even so,  I heard that the league is still losing millions a year.

But back to the original point I think the OP is really reaching. I don't really see a women making an impact in the WNBA because of the size and speed. Another poster mentioned someting about basketball IQ, I don't think that would be a problem, I don't have much to base this on but I think the womens pro game displays a higher sense of basketball IQ and fundementals

[Tai]

You can say i'm sexist but i hope this never happens. How can the game be properly played with girls out there? Rondo and KG coming down the floor, a two on one, Candace Parker back to defend.... KG DUNKS IN HER FACE! Then Candace Parker goes flying into the padding of the hoop.... i don't want anything to do with this.

I giggled.

[Tai]

I hate LeBron but honestly, in this case, I can't say as I disagree with him. $0-50 years from now....maybe. Ten years from now. No way. Won't happen.

That's a strange comment to me Nick.  What is going to happen to women 40-50 years from now that couldn't happen in 10 years.   Are you expecting some form of superwoman emerging then that couldn't exist now.  It seems just as likely that a 10 year old right now might have that extraordinary mix of skill, strength and coaching as it would be that such a female will be born 30 years from now.  

No...but I never say never when it comes to changes in skill, society, technology or even evolution. Asked someone 60 years ago if women would have their own professional basketball league which millions of people would follow on television and people would have laughed at you.

Thing is, two WNBA teams have had to fold in the Rockets and Monarchs that have won WNBA Championships. THAT bothers me, cause two other WNBA teams have folded but they didn't do much. Are millions of people really going to these games?

[makaveli]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4715078

CLEVELAND -- NBA commissioner David Stern said in an interview with Sports Illustrated he believes a woman could be playing in the league at some point in the next decade.

Cavaliers forward LeBron James isn't so sure. The reigning NBA MVP was asked about Stern's comments prior to the Bulls-Cavaliers game on Friday night.

"Ten years?" James asked. "That's, like, right around the corner. [In] 10 years, I'll be 34. I'll still be in the NBA. I think 10 years is pushing it, honestly."

"I love all sports," he continued. "I love watching the girls, especially in the Olympics. They're wonderful in the WNBA. They're great. It's a lot of great players. But 10 years, that's pushing it. I think that's pushing it."

Okay, so I'd like to know why women playing in the NBA has anything to do with LeBron whatsoever. Apparently he thinks it has everything to do with him, basically saying that as long as he is in the league, there could never be a woman worthy of playing.

On the other hand maybe we should cut the man some slack, seeing as he's only 24, as I was reminded by the article. [dang] - 24! I honestly forgot he was so young.

He said nothing wrong...

[PosImpos]

A female coach is more likely and I don't see that happening anytime soon...

That's a good point.  I could see that happening - aren't there already female college coaches and a female D-league coach?

I agree that it'll be a while though.

[nickagneta]

I hate LeBron but honestly, in this case, I can't say as I disagree with him. $0-50 years from now....maybe. Ten years from now. No way. Won't happen.

That's a strange comment to me Nick.  What is going to happen to women 40-50 years from now that couldn't happen in 10 years.   Are you expecting some form of superwoman emerging then that couldn't exist now.  It seems just as likely that a 10 year old right now might have that extraordinary mix of skill, strength and coaching as it would be that such a female will be born 30 years from now.  

No...but I never say never when it comes to changes in skill, society, technology or even evolution. Asked someone 60 years ago if women would have their own professional basketball league which millions of people would follow on television and people would have laughed at you.

Thing is, two WNBA teams have had to fold in the Rockets and Monarchs that have won WNBA Championships. THAT bothers me, cause two other WNBA teams have folded but they didn't do much. Are millions of people really going to these games?

Did I say going to the games? Do people actually read anymore?

I said follow on television. And if you take a look at the WNBA Finals ratings the WNBA averaged something like 560,000 people per night watching each game of that last 5 game series. The aggregate of the numbers would be in the millions.

[WeMadeIt17]

What did he say that was so wrong? I mean you guys really keep LeBron under a microscope don't you? If someone asked you do you think they're could be a women in the NBA you would probably go "Hell no" Pardon my cursing but its the flat out truth.

[Eja117]

I hate LeBron but honestly, in this case, I can't say as I disagree with him. $0-50 years from now....maybe. Ten years from now. No way. Won't happen.

That's a strange comment to me Nick.  What is going to happen to women 40-50 years from now that couldn't happen in 10 years.   Are you expecting some form of superwoman emerging then that couldn't exist now.  It seems just as likely that a 10 year old right now might have that extraordinary mix of skill, strength and coaching as it would be that such a female will be born 30 years from now.  

No...but I never say never when it comes to changes in skill, society, technology or even evolution. Asked someone 60 years ago if women would have their own professional basketball league which millions of people would follow on television and people would have laughed at you.

Thing is, two WNBA teams have had to fold in the Rockets and Monarchs that have won WNBA Championships. THAT bothers me, cause two other WNBA teams have folded but they didn't do much. Are millions of people really going to these games?

Do people actually read anymore?

Do people what what?