Why I No Longer Hate LeBron

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leonard blew game 6 with the missed FT. the spurs deserved this and miami knew it.  the hell with lebum. he will never garner my respect like MJ did.

Even though Kawhi missed the free throw that kid played really well overall.  I was so impressed with his hustle and rebounding.  He has a knack of finding the rebound in a crowd, and quietly just plays hard and does a great job.  Man I wish we had him on the C's.

[pearljammer10]

I respect Lebron a little more since he has finally been able to win these two championships. The hate on him gets little old especially when he has played at such a high rate.

However. I still hate him. The way he pouts and argues every call. Gives up on his team for spurts. The flops, the flop denials. The media talk. The hype he gets and how the media falls all over him.

I cant respect his game and his stats and what not. But I still hate the guy with a passion.

[fairweatherfan]

Since I wasn't watching NBA at that time - I wonder if MJ got the same "treatment" from non-bulls-fans NBA followers.

Yeah, I've long thought that I would have hated the Bulls, and been really disappointed that there weren't more parity in the league.  But I think eventually I would have just reached a point where I appreciate seeing history being made by the greatest player ever.

I was old enough to watch Jordan's peak through high school and some of college and I despised him and looked for any excuse to downplay everything he accomplished.  When I grew up, I regretted it - I missed out on appreciating maybe the best player ever at his peak but I let good guy/bad guy narratives get in the way.  It's a major reason why I've tried to get over my dislike of LeBron and appreciate what a phenomenal talent he is - at least when he's not playing Boston. 

You only get to see so many guys of that caliber in a lifetime, and odds are most to all of them won't be wearing your favorite color shirt. 

LeBron was on the verge of blowing the ECF last year, and he rallied and crushed his biggest nemesis in their house, then pulled away in Game 7.  He had 2 horrible turnovers and a brutal brick late in Game 6, and he immediately came right back and drained the next 3, and with some help won that game and played a brilliant Game 7, including making the biggest shot of the game.  Anyone who claims to be a fan of the game's gotta respect that.

[PhoSita]

You only get to see so many guys of that caliber in a lifetime, and odds are most to all of them won't be wearing your favorite color shirt. 

LeBron was on the verge of blowing the ECF last year, and he rallied and crushed his biggest nemesis in their house, then pulled away in Game 7.  He had 2 horrible turnovers and a brutal brick late in Game 6, and he immediately came right back and drained the next 3, and with some help won that game and played a brilliant Game 7, including making the biggest shot of the game.  Anyone who claims to be a fan of the game's gotta respect that.

Yeah, exactly.

[Celtics18]

I hate Lebron James more than ever, and I feel no need to justify my hatred with any rational reasoning.  I just hate him, and I'm perfectly happy with that decision.

Right, and I agree with you--LeBron is never going to be one of my favorite players--but you'd have to concede that he just finished playing a pretty amazing 99 games of basketball.

Of course I have to concede that.  I didn't think that was up for debate.  I can respect his game, but that doesn't mean I have to respect him or stop getting that admittedly immature feeling which is more anatomical than analytic of just wanting to see him suffer defeat, pain, and humiliation on the basketball court. 

Yeah, I know, it's the definition of "hater."  I don't apologize for it, and I don't see my stance changing. 

[PhoSita]

Since I wasn't watching NBA at that time - I wonder if MJ got the same "treatment" from non-bulls-fans NBA followers.

Yeah, I've long thought that I would have hated the Bulls, and been really disappointed that there weren't more parity in the league.  But I think eventually I would have just reached a point where I appreciate seeing history being made by the greatest player ever.

how old are you?

I'm in my mid-twenties, so I was in kindergarten / elementary school when Jordan was doing his thing.  Even so, I didn't really get into the NBA until around the time the Celtics were making their championship run in 2008.  That's what really ignited my passion for the game. 

Kevin Garnett yelling "Anything is possible!" at the rafters is something I'll never, ever forget.

[CelticsFan9]

I hate Lebron James more than ever, and I feel no need to justify my hatred with any rational reasoning.  I just hate him, and I'm perfectly happy with that decision.

Right, and I agree with you--LeBron is never going to be one of my favorite players--but you'd have to concede that he just finished playing a pretty amazing 99 games of basketball.

Of course I have to concede that.  I didn't think that was up for debate.  I can respect his game, but that doesn't mean I have to respect him or stop getting that admittedly immature feeling which is more anatomical than analytic of just wanting to see him suffer defeat, pain, and humiliation on the basketball court. 

Yeah, I know, it's the definition of "hater."  I don't apologize for it, and I don't see my stance changing.

TP for admitting that.  I don't agree, but at least you're owning up to it.  Props to you.

[Kiorrik]

TP.

Also, Kiorrik:
My friends and I were talking about this after the game--all of us are too young to remember Jordan and his championship runs as anything other than THE COOLEST/WINNINGEST THING EVER, our local team affiliations totally secondary to the fact that we ate it up because he was amazing.

I still treasure my 1998 Chicago Bulls NBA Champs hat. Somewhere out there is some little kid that just had his mind blown by that epic series. That's probably more important than griping about how he bailed on Cleveland to play in Miami.

For me, it was mostly because at that time, it wasn't being broadcast over in the Netherlands. It still isn't, actually. Thank god for league pass

[celticslove]

i respect his game but i still don't like him.

[fairweatherfan]

We can still think Chris Bosh is an impotent manbaby though, right?

[PhoSita]

TP.

Also, Kiorrik:
My friends and I were talking about this after the game--all of us are too young to remember Jordan and his championship runs as anything other than THE COOLEST/WINNINGEST THING EVER, our local team affiliations totally secondary to the fact that we ate it up because he was amazing.

I still treasure my 1998 Chicago Bulls NBA Champs hat. Somewhere out there is some little kid that just had his mind blown by that epic series. That's probably more important than griping about how he bailed on Cleveland to play in Miami.

For me, it was mostly because at that time, it wasn't being broadcast over in the Netherlands. It still isn't, actually. Thank god for league pass

I still think it's too bad, as much as I despised those Cavs team, that LeBron didn't end up winning his championships with the team that drafted him, invested in him, and built a team around him.

The Heat having success is still a bad thing for the league, in my opinion, and it has nothing to do with hating on LeBron.

[PhoSita]

We can still think Chris Bosh is an impotent manbaby though, right?

Chris Bosh is still a total front-runner.  But I have to respect the defense he played in these last two games.  As great as Duncan was, Chris Bosh still made it tough for him, and Chris Bosh was absolutely enormous -- literally -- in those possessions at the end of Game 6.  Without Bosh the Heat would have lost in Game 6, no doubt.

[fairweatherfan]

We can still think Chris Bosh is an impotent manbaby though, right?

Chris Bosh is still a total front-runner.  But I have to respect the defense he played in these last two games.  As great as Duncan was, Chris Bosh still made it tough for him, and Chris Bosh was absolutely enormous -- literally -- in those possessions at the end of Game 6.  Without Bosh the Heat would have lost in Game 6, no doubt.

Boooo!  He made 3 key plays (the board and dish to Allen and the 2 blocks) at the end of Game 6 but was invisible for most of the rest of the series, including the 0-fer tonight.  I need some kind of irrational disdain to cling to here.

[D.o.s.]

Actually, from what I understand about him--which, admittedly, comes mostly from puff pieces and the like--I'd say that Bosh is probably one of the more likeable dudes on the Heat. The guy chose his college for academic reasons(!), has a foundation that emphasizes children's literacy and generally seems like a dork in the Tim Duncan mold.

I can't muster up dislike for someone like that.

[PhoSita]

Actually, from what I understand about him--which, admittedly, comes mostly from puff pieces and the like--I'd say that Bosh is probably one of the more likeable dudes on the Heat. The guy chose his college for academic reasons(!), has a foundation that emphasizes children's literacy and generally seems like a dork in the Tim Duncan mold.

I can't muster up dislike for someone like that.

Yeah, I'm sure Bosh is a nice dude.


I think my dislike of Bosh comes mainly from the fact that he has the talent to be a superstar franchise player but he's so content to be a third banana on the Heat, and he disappears frequently even in big games.  But I guess you have to respect his willingness to be just a role player and only do what is demanded of him.  Clearly it's a winning formula for the Heat.

Though I do think if the Heat are going to continue being a great team beyond the next couple of years, Bosh will need to step up.  Because Wade doesn't have a lot of time left as a star player.