Why hating LeBron as a man is unjustified

[tlance]

Saw someone post this on Facebook:

LeBron grew up poor. He was basically homeless for a significant portion of his childhood. He had little formal education, few role models and limited training.

He married his high school sweet heart. Never arrested. Never used drugs. Never embarrassed his wife with side chic stories. Never in the news with so much as a parking ticket. He has been a great father, heavily involved with kids activities and he has been the best player on the planet for the last decade.

If we are truly being honest with ourselves, I doubt anybody here would be able to live as trouble free a life as LeBron if they had the same background, the big money, and all the media scrutiny LeBron is forced to endure. It is pretty amazing, really.

 

[Maverick426h]

It's all good.

We'll hate him as a player instead.

 

[JohnShadows]

I have a hard time respecting anyone who's never done drugs. But maybe that's on me.

 

[tlance]

I have a hard time respecting anyone who's never done drugs. But maybe that's on me.

Well,

Not sure what your chosen profession is, but perhaps you would be in the GOAT conversation for that if you hadn't.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't think that folks hate him "as a man." That seems pretty extreme. I'm sure some do, but not most. I know I don't. I don't know him, so hating him as a man would be pretty silly.

I think it's great that he overcame his background to reach where he is. I also think it's awesome that he chose to bring his closest friends along for the ride.

But a lot of professional athletes (as well successful people in other professions) have overcome poor, troubled childhoods to achieve their success.

In fact, I'd say, that at least from what I've seen and heard about a lot professional athletes doing...Lebron seems to be more the rule than the exception.

I think what people don't like about him are some of the ways he's conducted himself throughout his career.

It's great that he overcame what he has, great that he doesn't get in trouble, stays involved with his kids, etc., etc.

But he's also done plenty to give people reasons to not like him.

 

[SteelersPride]

@DorianRo will slob all over this post

 

[tlance]

@DorianRo will slob all over this post

Nah.

He said yesterday he wasn't ever coming back.

 

[SteelersPride]

Nah.

He said yesterday he wasn't ever coming back.

u know thats not true

 

[Wamu]

Nah.

He said yesterday he wasn't ever coming back.

Well I hope that's not true. The NBA threads just wouldn't be the same w/o his special brand of craziness.

 

[redseat]

I don't hate Lebron as a person... I think my "hatred" is due to all the ballwashing the media does for him... I think he is a tremendous basketball player, one of the best... but he's not on my team and he killed my team, so I have to "hate" him, no? lol

 

[Wamu]

I don't hate Lebron as a person... I think my "hatred" is due to all the ballwashing the media does for him... I think he is a tremendous basketball player, one of the best... but he's not on my team and he killed my team, so I have to "hate" him, no? lol

How many times has LeBron ended the Celtics season? That Balding Jackass needs to stop that nonsense!

 

[broncosmitty]

Little formal education?


I'm a fan of LeBron, but he went to a private school. And admittedly smoked pot. Let's not canonize him because he grew up poor.


What he lacked as a child, was not love. And that is the most important thing. His mother deserves credit for raising a child to respect others and value relationships. He knows who is friends are.


Which is what scares me about Rob Pelinka.

 

[RobBase]

LeBron is a political shill who called Ohio voters uneducated, and goofy. He also paints his hair on.

He's a nerd.

 

[tlance]

Little formal education?


I'm a fan of LeBron, but he went to a private school. And admittedly smoked pot. Let's not canonize him because he grew up poor.


What he lacked as a child, was not love. And that is the most important thing. His mother deserves credit for raising a child to respect others and value relationships. He knows who is friends are.


Which is what scares me about Rob Pelinka.

His mother was a hot mess.

He went to a private school because he was a basketball savant.

 

[Mecca]

Honestly, I rarely ever care about a players personal life.

I hated Kobe because he was a killer and kept making me late for work with all those fucking parades.

I hate Dray because he kept sticking his boot up Blake's ass.

Sports make you irrational.

It's about emotions, not common sense.

Let em hate.

 

[Mecca]

How many times has LeBron ended the Celtics season? That Balding Jackass needs to stop that nonsense!

^ This ^

He's done some douchey things, like the decision.

But, this alone is reason enough to hate him.

Don't you think Cavs fans felt the same about Jordan?

I bet they still hate Horry in Sacto....lol

 

[broncosmitty]

His mother was a hot mess.

He went to a private school because he was a basketball savant.

You said he had little formal education.

That is misleading. How or why a child goes to a certain school does not change that they did.

 

[broncosmitty]

^ This ^

He's done some douchey things, like the decision.

But, this alone is reason enough to hate him.

Don't you think Cavs fans felt the same about Jordan?

I bet they still hate Horry in Sacto....lol

I know I will never stop hating Horry.


That lousy, shooting from the corner as time expires, asshole.

Also hate Shaun Elliot's kidneys.

 

[broncosmitty]

He's a nerd.

Yes he is.

 

[tlance]

You said he had little formal education.

That is misleading. How or why a child goes to a certain school does not change that they did.

Put it like this.

He had less schooling than probably everyone here.

When he was in elementary school, he was basically in charge of himself and he strayed home playing video games about as often as he attended.

A couple youth coaches invested in him because of his obvious freakish athleticism and gave him structure in his life that his mom couldn't/wouldn't provide.

But, he was also an inherehtly good kid. When given the opportunity to make the right choices, he mostly did.