LeBron James the nice guy?

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I don't care either way but let's get real, none of us know him personally, perception is rarely reality... but I will say that murders, rapist, and scum of the Earth also occasionally do nice things! EVERY athlete does "nice" things, I'm not going to change my thoughts of them based on that, I don't like him b/c he plays for the enemy and b/c of the "Little 3"... I don't know him other than that so I don't like or dislike him outside of basketball! Call it childish or w/e, but I don't care if he saves a school full of children from a burning building, I still don't like him as far as basketball goes! So, I don't care whether he is nice or not! When I looked at this thread I thought it was going to be how Wade is always trying to do the "tough guy routine" during games and how LeBron told him to knock it off or something... b/c last night Perk would whooped that butt!!

[Finkelskyhook]

He has a new marketing team after the debacle that was, "The Decision". Thats also why a couple weeks ago when he crushed that little kid in the first row who was crying he came back later and apologized. His first initial decision was to walk away and say nothing. A little birdy in his ear re-thought that for him. Its clear the media is trying to rebrand him now as a nice guy once again. Just my observation..

I fall into the trap of always wanting to dismiss this kinda stuff as PR. And maybe it is, but at the end of the day he still did it, and it probably will be one of the more memorable moments in these guys lives. That's a positive, anyway you look at it.

You actually think that one of an apache pilots most memorable moments would be posing for a picture with the messiah?

[Fafnir]

He has a new marketing team after the debacle that was, "The Decision". Thats also why a couple weeks ago when he crushed that little kid in the first row who was crying he came back later and apologized. His first initial decision was to walk away and say nothing. A little birdy in his ear re-thought that for him. Its clear the media is trying to rebrand him now as a nice guy once again. Just my observation..

I fall into the trap of always wanting to dismiss this kinda stuff as PR. And maybe it is, but at the end of the day he still did it, and it probably will be one of the more memorable moments in these guys lives. That's a positive, anyway you look at it.

You actually think that one of an apache pilots most memorable moments would be posing for a picture with the messiah?

Why not?

Just going to a Celtics game to watch Rondo/Ray/Pierce (no KG it was 2008-2009 in Chicago so he was hurt) is one of my more memorable memories. Getting to meet one of the current Celtics (or Perkins/Posey) would certainly also shoot up the list.

If the guy is a fan of LeBron I'm sure it is the same for him.

[Fafnir]

LeBron has one major character flaw and it is that he is an egomaniac...doesnt mean he is a terrible person or he is evil.

Yeah he's a diva, like many other professional athletes current and former.

Most reports I've heard about his personal life is that he's a nice guy, just like Shaq is. They're both very self-centered people, but that doesn't mean they can't be super-nice and gregarious to people they meet and interact with.

[democritic]

Honestly, some people really need to grow up. I don't care if you aren't a fan of LeBron James (I have problems with him), but when it gets to the point where, when he actually does something genuinely nice, you sulk cynically at your computer, trying desperately to spin it in any possible way to make him look bad, then YOU are the one with the problem.

Which is ironic, for a bunch of people who think LeBron is the self-involved, immature one.  

We're grown ups here. Act like it, for cripe's sake.

TP

Seriously. Part of what I enjoy about the NBA is getting emotionally invested in the people who play. That means that I love some people and dislike some people. To an extent, I like disliking certain players and teams. I like chipy games, the rivalry, but at the start of each season I try to give a blank slate to the Lebron/Kobe/Wade type players, the players that you love to hate.

I may still hope they lose the games, but I want to let go of the ill will that may have accumulated over their past actions. As a player, Lebron did the right things, the things I wished he would do, he got a post game and stopped taking as many threes. As a person, he seems to regret the decisions he's made (including The Decision). I'm happy for that.

As far as Lebron being a bit of an egomaniac, being out of touch, does that really surprise anyone? Lebron was crowned God's gift to basketball, and has been surrounded by people who always agree with him, and had all that pressure right out of highschool. It'd be weirder if he was well adjusted as a multi-millionare superstar in his 20's.

Speaking of more good that Lebron, Wade and the Heat are doing:



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-neighborhoodwatchdeath-athletes

Especially for being a Florida team, that is a very important message, to the youth and to the world. I'm glad that the Trayvon case is finally getting some recognition and without the huge amount of public pressure, there might never have been any actions taken.

Hate the Heat, shout at your TV when Lebron's taking free-throws, do whatever you've got to do. But working so hard to tear down celebrities is a waste of energy. Same goes for the Bieber, Twilight, Snooki trend of the week. I for one, haven't heard the music, seen the movies, watched the show, (it's really not hard to do) and to spend any emotional energy on hating that stuff and then the intellectual energy justifying that hate is just silly.

[SHAQATTACK]

AS a Player I like Kobe's game....as a person LBJ is more down to earth it seems ...except when he trys to be a big shot ...celeb...he fails .....he just isn't a Hollywood type.

[Finkelskyhook]

Honestly, some people really need to grow up. I don't care if you aren't a fan of LeBron James (I have problems with him), but when it gets to the point where, when he actually does something genuinely nice, you sulk cynically at your computer, trying desperately to spin it in any possible way to make him look bad, then YOU are the one with the problem.

Which is ironic, for a bunch of people who think LeBron is the self-involved, immature one.  

We're grown ups here. Act like it, for cripe's sake.

TP

Seriously. Part of what I enjoy about the NBA is getting emotionally invested in the people who play. That means that I love some people and dislike some people. To an extent, I like disliking certain players and teams. I like chipy games, the rivalry, but at the start of each season I try to give a blank slate to the Lebron/Kobe/Wade type players, the players that you love to hate.

I may still hope they lose the games, but I want to let go of the ill will that may have accumulated over their past actions. As a player, Lebron did the right things, the things I wished he would do, he got a post game and stopped taking as many threes. As a person, he seems to regret the decisions he's made (including The Decision). I'm happy for that.

As far as Lebron being a bit of an egomaniac, being out of touch, does that really surprise anyone? Lebron was crowned God's gift to basketball, and has been surrounded by people who always agree with him, and had all that pressure right out of highschool. It'd be weirder if he was well adjusted as a multi-millionare superstar in his 20's.

Speaking of more good that Lebron, Wade and the Heat are doing:



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-neighborhoodwatchdeath-athletes

Especially for being a Florida team, that is a very important message, to the youth and to the world. I'm glad that the Trayvon case is finally getting some recognition and without the huge amount of public pressure, there might never have been any actions taken.

Hate the Heat, shout at your TV when Lebron's taking free-throws, do whatever you've got to do. But working so hard to tear down celebrities is a waste of energy. Same goes for the Bieber, Twilight, Snooki trend of the week. I for one, haven't heard the music, seen the movies, watched the show, (it's really not hard to do) and to spend any emotional energy on hating that stuff and then the intellectual energy justifying that hate is just silly.

Nothing good about the second thing.  Classless divisive symbolism about an incident they...and we know nothing about.  If they wanted to do something other than ride the publicity bandwagon they'd have done something private within the young man's family.  And certainly not weeks after the incident.

I don't doubt that most NBA players do a great deal in their home communities as well as their team's.  Most of the good they do is under the radar. 

[Greenbean]

LeBron has one major character flaw and it is that he is an egomaniac...doesnt mean he is a terrible person or he is evil.

Yeah he's a diva, like many other professional athletes current and former.

Most reports I've heard about his personal life is that he's a nice guy, just like Shaq is. They're both very self-centered people, but that doesn't mean they can't be super-nice and gregarious to people they meet and interact with.

Well put...TP

[Celtics4ever]

This was a class act by him.

[ManUp]

My impression of Lebron is that he's more of a big kid. I don't know why he's been thrown the image of a villain or bad guy. I can understand him being considered a villain in Cleveland, but otherwise he seems pretty cool.

[Moranis]

My impression of Lebron is that he's more of a big kid. I don't know why he's been thrown the image of a villain or bad guy. I can understand him being considered a villain in Cleveland, but otherwise he seems pretty cool.

I actually find his tweets quite entertaining.  And the dude seems to do nothing but watch basketball.  Like all day every day.  He is always tweeting about games, college and pro.  The man loves what he does.

[democritic]

Nothing good about the second thing.

Classless divisive symbolism about an incident they...and we know nothing about.  If they wanted to do something other than ride the publicity bandwagon they'd have done something private within the young man's family.  And certainly not weeks after the incident.

Nothing good? Really? The Trayvon Martin case has demonstrated that it takes a huge amount of national pressure to get those police officers to do their jobs.

Like you say, it's an event we know very little about, thus bringing attention to it is a good thing. What can they do privately with their family? Sign autographs? Bring their son back? The publicity IS the service. That, after a month, it is taking federal and state law enforcement to begin to handle the issue is the problem.

The salient point is that a man killed another man, and was allowed by local police to flee the state, and has not been arrested a month later. His guilt or innocent will be decided in a court of law, as it should be.

I know personally people who've been arrested for using children's sidewalk chalk in a public park, dancing on public sidewalks, and for shouting in a public space. For the police to take no interest in a man who used lethal force against the advice of 911 dispatch is a miscarriage of justice.

[KG_ended_Bias]

Nothing good about the second thing.

Classless divisive symbolism about an incident they...and we know nothing about.  If they wanted to do something other than ride the publicity bandwagon they'd have done something private within the young man's family.  And certainly not weeks after the incident.

Nothing good? Really? The Trayvon Martin case has demonstrated that it takes a huge amount of national pressure to get those police officers to do their jobs.

Like you say, it's an event we know very little about, thus bringing attention to it is a good thing. What can they do privately with their family? Sign autographs? Bring their son back? The publicity IS the service. That, after a month, it is taking federal and state law enforcement to begin to handle the issue is the problem.

The salient point is that a man killed another man, and was allowed by local police to flee the state, and has not been arrested a month later. His guilt or innocent will be decided in a court of law, as it should be.

I know personally people who've been arrested for using children's sidewalk chalk in a public park, dancing on public sidewalks, and for shouting in a public space. For the police to take no interest in a man who used lethal force against the advice of 911 dispatch is a miscarriage of justice.

well said TP

[Capricious]

Nothing good about the second thing.

Classless divisive symbolism about an incident they...and we know nothing about.  If they wanted to do something other than ride the publicity bandwagon they'd have done something private within the young man's family.  And certainly not weeks after the incident.

Nothing good? Really? The Trayvon Martin case has demonstrated that it takes a huge amount of national pressure to get those police officers to do their jobs.

Like you say, it's an event we know very little about, thus bringing attention to it is a good thing. What can they do privately with their family? Sign autographs? Bring their son back? The publicity IS the service. That, after a month, it is taking federal and state law enforcement to begin to handle the issue is the problem.

The salient point is that a man killed another man, and was allowed by local police to flee the state, and has not been arrested a month later. His guilt or innocent will be decided in a court of law, as it should be.

I know personally people who've been arrested for using children's sidewalk chalk in a public park, dancing on public sidewalks, and for shouting in a public space. For the police to take no interest in a man who used lethal force against the advice of 911 dispatch is a miscarriage of justice.

No interest?  He was taken to the police station and questioned after the incident.  They didn't just look at the ground, see a black kid, and say "you're free to go".

The law in Florida allows you to use deadly force if your life is threatened.  When police arrived, signs indicated that he was attacked (bleeding from front and back of head, wet/grass stained back).  Considering the evidence at the time, UNDER FLORIDA LAW, there was no reason to detain him.

Could he have shot the kid in cold blood and then injured himself?  Sure.  However, you can only work off the evidence that is present.  So until that point, everyone needs to stop acting like they know what happened.

[Fafnir]

Further discussion of the Trayvon Martin case is not appropriate for this thread.