Just over a week ago the Orlando Magic knocked the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the NBA playoffs. This came as a shock to many because the league’s MVP, Lebron James, seemed poised to take the Cavs under his wing and win the title. Lebron has lived up to the hype that first started when he was a 12-year-old phenom appearing in Slam, a popular basketball magazine. He has proved to be one of the most talented players to grace the court since Michael Jordan. While the comparisons have been made between the two it seems that James’ ability to lead his team when it really matters is still in question. After all registering a triple-double every single game is great but it’s useless if your team loses. The best leaders in sports are able to make everyone around them better.
Don’t get me wrong - I think Lebron is the best player in the game right now with Kobe Bryant nipping at his heels. But he made an egregious mistake following his team’s loss that proved he still has a lot to learn. Immediately following the game he left the floor without congratulating or shaking the hands of the other team’s players. He also bailed without speaking to the media which is an expectation for the game’s poster boy. In his words:
“It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that...If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them,” James said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”
On one hand I love this attitude because it shows that he’s a cold-blooded competitor, which undoubtedly attributes to his success. On the other hand I can’t help but remember the quote “The best time to judge a person’s character is when things are not going their way.” There is certainly some hypocrisy in Lebron’s actions because he doesn’t hesitate to bask in the glory, look to shake the other team’s hands and yuck it up for the media when his team wins. In my opinion it’s awfully easy to lead when things are going well; everything seems to take care of itself because winning is contagious. Unfortunately losing is also contagious. Sure, it was just one playoff series loss but the last thing you want is to get glossed as the great player who can’t win the big games.
Lebron is my favorite player in the league and he has incredible talent and charisma. But I think his reaction to the loss is one that he’d like to have back. Instead of hearing about his amazing performances and game-winning shots throughout the off-season everyone will be discussing his poor sportsmanship and inability to win when it really counts.
Don’t get me wrong - I think Lebron is the best player in the game right now with Kobe Bryant nipping at his heels. But he made an egregious mistake following his team’s loss that proved he still has a lot to learn. Immediately following the game he left the floor without congratulating or shaking the hands of the other team’s players. He also bailed without speaking to the media which is an expectation for the game’s poster boy. In his words:
“It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that...If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them,” James said. “It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”
On one hand I love this attitude because it shows that he’s a cold-blooded competitor, which undoubtedly attributes to his success. On the other hand I can’t help but remember the quote “The best time to judge a person’s character is when things are not going their way.” There is certainly some hypocrisy in Lebron’s actions because he doesn’t hesitate to bask in the glory, look to shake the other team’s hands and yuck it up for the media when his team wins. In my opinion it’s awfully easy to lead when things are going well; everything seems to take care of itself because winning is contagious. Unfortunately losing is also contagious. Sure, it was just one playoff series loss but the last thing you want is to get glossed as the great player who can’t win the big games.
Lebron is my favorite player in the league and he has incredible talent and charisma. But I think his reaction to the loss is one that he’d like to have back. Instead of hearing about his amazing performances and game-winning shots throughout the off-season everyone will be discussing his poor sportsmanship and inability to win when it really counts.
For instance: Lebron Article
Ask yourself the following questions:
How do you respond to adversity? Do you ever get rattled and let it show?
Ask yourself the following questions:
How do you respond to adversity? Do you ever get rattled and let it show?
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