Lebron James heckled at Cedar Point for his shooting skills

I have to say, I too came away with more respect for Shaq after his brief tenure in Cleveland. I appreciated that he often went out of his way to talk about his adoptive community, in very empathetic and courteous terms that were above and beyond the call of duty.

As for LeBron, my opinion is all over the map and varies with the day and temperature. I hate that he left but understand it was his choice. The way he left was a terrible slap in the face of every NE Ohio sports fan. But on the other hand, he's showed continued support for Akron (which, keep in mind, is a very different beast than 'Cleveland' or 'greater Cleveland'). He's made it very clear about that differentiation, which as an Akronite (well, more or less) I instinctively like. But as a fan of Cleveland sports teams, I find it unbelievable that he wouldn't 'get' the impact of his departure and the method of announcing it on this most, black star-cursed of all sports towns. So, I dunno.

Just last night I watched several average joes sink their first shot at the CP basketball game, so I don't think it's the game...

eightdotthree said:
I am assuming he actually paid for the VIP tour this time as well.

I seriously doubt it.

delan said:
...there are other NBA players who have much higher douche quotients. Dennis Rodman, Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, Shaq, just to name a few.

How many of those players walked off the court after a playoff loss, without showing even a modicum of sportsmanship? Not trying to make a point specific to Lebron - I'm genuinely curious how common such pathetic childishness is in the NBA.

Maybe he would've done better at 3 Point Challenge.

Daemon, I actually understood where LB was coming from when he stormed off the court. The game is highly emotional, and as soon as it ended cameras were all up in his face. I would have done the same as well. Plus he is young, and maybe has not developed his 'poker face' yet. I give LB the pass because he's a good guy, (we come from a similar background), you never see him in the tabs, he doesn't do drugs or turn tricks, and above all he is good at what he does.

you never see him in the tabs, he doesn't do drugs or turn tricks, and above all he is good at what he does.

LOL, but then, Tiger Woods was that guy too at one point...

There is absolutely NO excuse for poor sportsmanship. Hockey, for example, is an equally-emotional sport (arguably more so, given the amount of brutal physical contact compared with basketball), and you almost never see such childishness displayed when hockey playoff series are completed. I can't recall the last time that happened in the NHL.

And the game is emotional for every player. That Lebron thinks he's more important than his colleagues speaks a lot about his character. And I don't understand why NBA fans would make excuses for such behavior. Shouldn't you desire a higher standard for the game's highest-profile members?

These guys get paid absurd sums of money to do something that millions of people would happily pay to do. Sorry, but if you don't have the maturity - and it doesn't take much at all - to show respect for your colleagues, you're a pathetic excuse for a "professional".

I couldn't agree more, Brandon. That "emotionality" issue should be what sets apart the professionals from the rest. I don't get a pass if I storm out of a meeting in my workplace because things didn't go the way I wanted them to.

I also don't understand giving a pass for bad behavior just because there are other types of bad behavior he has so far chosen not to participate in. Now I wouldn't say a bad display of behavior after a game should define him or anything, but I do think he should be held accountable to it. That's the only way he will be able to gain that maturity he may be lacking.

djDaemon said:
These guys get paid absurd sums of money to do something that millions of people would happily pay to do.

Really? You'd play professional basketball, and deal with everything that entails, and pay to do it? I find that hard to believe, let alone millions that would happily pay to do it.

I wouldn't pay to play basketball, but I have and will continue to pay to play hockey.

And yes, millions of people do, in fact, pay to play basketball. Not professionally, but that's not the point (and I suspect you knew that).

djDaemon said:
There is absolutely NO excuse for poor sportsmanship. Hockey, for example, is an equally-emotional sport (arguably more so, given the amount of brutal physical contact compared with basketball), and you almost never see such childishness displayed when hockey playoff series are completed. I can't recall the last time that happened in the NHL.

Better yet, you line up and shake the hand of the guy who beat you at the end of the series. I can't recall another professional sport that has such a blatant display of sportsmanship.

LeBron isn't an individual anymore. Everything he does is for the LeBron James brand. Why couldn't he announce that he was signing with Miami at the same time that Wade and Bosh did? Did he really not have his mind made up until the night of his special? No, he would have to share the spotlight and dilute his brand. Is he helping out in the community because he is that altruistic or is it good for the image of the king without a ring?

RCMAC said:
Maybe he would've done better at 3 Point Challenge.

Nope. He failed at that too.

I'm pretty sure he paid for VIP, because CP has been known to turn away celebrities otherwise. They're not going to dedicate security people and what not and allow for all that disruption just to have a celebrity in the park.

To be fair to the NBA, there are a great many players with a great deal of class. They aren't as talented, but they're all over the place. I think Steve Nash might be one of the hardest working and professional players the league has seen in years, and hall of fame bound or not, he's mostly just "above average." That genuinely talented players like Lebron and Kobe can be such assholes is ridiculous. Like I said, there was a high bar set by Michael Jordan, and as much as I hoped Lebron would be the next, he continues to fall short.

Jordan and a lot of the players of that era were Class Acts. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, in fact, much of the Dream Team were mostly classy. It was the exception to be an idiot in those days.

^^Have to disagree that Nash is just "above average". yes, there are certainly holes in his game (foot quickness and defense to name a couple) - but how many other players have gone 50-40-90? That's 50% shooting, 40% from three, and 90 from the line...and Nash does it pretty much EVERY year.

Certainly no one is going to compare the Candaian to Magic or Jordan or LeBron or Kobe....but he could out-shoot any/all of them.

Fair enough. The guy has solid stats all around.

When did jordan become such a role model? When he was gambling millions a year, or was it when he was hooking up with more women than tiger?

I'll guess gambling. Am I right? What do I win?

How does one model rolls? Where do you wear them?

For men, usually around the gut.