"I don't know what he said I did," James said. "I was trying to get an explanation from him but he...

"I don't know what he said I did," James said. "I was trying to get an explanation from him but he ended up running to the other side of the floor. It was a bad call. Like I said, I watched it in the [locker] room. I took a crab dribble, which is a hesitation dribble, and then two steps. Everybody, you call guys can watch it. The bad part about it was I was able to finish at the rim with contact, so it would have been a three-point play. So it's tough."

Agent Bog. Crab dribble. Riiiiiight.

6 months ago Mike Prada Comment 34 comments 0 recs |

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Comments

IT WAS THREE STEPS

I don’t want to hate LeBron, but then he says things like that.

by bronco6778 on Jan 4, 2009 7:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Come over to the Dark Side . . . Embrace your hatred!

Lebron’s a ridiculous athlete and one of the best players in the NBA today, but there’s nothing likeable at all about how he acts or carries himself on the court. Plus that chalk thing is just plain obnoxious . . .

So learn to feel your hatred, it will make you powerful!

by Bucky Katt on Jan 4, 2009 8:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i think the great deshawn stevenson summed it up after the game

“I don’t like him. I don’t like that dude”
enough said.

by little stevie colter on Jan 4, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hating him this year is wasted energy

I’ll get back to it next year.

For now it’s the Flyers.

by bronco6778 on Jan 4, 2009 10:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

like i said

it was a crap dribble – i palm the ball, then take three steps, and the refs know that they aren’t supposed to call it. i’ve been doing it ever since i was in this league. bad call.

by little stevie colter on Jan 4, 2009 7:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Since he's been in the league?

I bet he’s been doing it since he was king of the peewee league.

by hotplate on Jan 4, 2009 7:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I went to the game

and man, was that fun. It wasn’t the best-played game ever, but it was hilarious to see Mike Brown thrown out and LeBron so frustrated. Classic….

Krem's Sports Blog

by Matt K. on Jan 4, 2009 7:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

nice - probably best home game of the year.

it is soooo satisfying. the sense of entitlement is getting pretty damn old.

by little stevie colter on Jan 4, 2009 7:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

also - the assumption that it would have been an and-1 is strike 723 against le'bron

by little stevie colter on Jan 4, 2009 7:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You were there too?

What section? I had my Monumental Air shit on and saw nobody.

We’ll organize a BF get together later on in the year. Pinky swear.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 4, 2009 9:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Im in for a BF game meet up

I am sure they will be giving away tickets by the time of the BF event. :)

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 5, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WHAT A LOAD OF .. . .

RUBBISH! A crab dribble, that’s hilarious. I wonder what the hell he called that dribble in Game 5 in Cleveland? I know what I called it #$#$$## 8 steps on the baseline!

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jan 4, 2009 8:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Funny thing is

LeBron actually thinks that was a legal play…. that he can take 3 steps and it’s allowed.

"It was a bad call. " – Is that considered an offense worth a fine by the League?
I’m not holding my breath – but if Andray Blatche, Nick Young, or Antawn Jamison had said that after a game, we’d be without their services for the next game; and they’d be $25K lighter in the wallet.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 4, 2009 9:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

From the same link above...

He (LeBron) said it wasn’t a travel, and was actually a "crab dribble." He said it’s one of his trademark moves, and that it’s perfectly legal.

Every fan of EVERY other team in the Association knows that LeBron’s "trademark move" is traveling.

LeBaby just calls it something different – – – a "crab dribble"…….. and he, and all the Cleveland fans think it’s a legal move…

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 4, 2009 9:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

My Reactions:

Is anyone surprised to see this comment from someone the media likes to call the “King”?

Interesting that when LeBron is under pressure and needs a goto move, he has repeatedly used something that seriously bends the rules.

LeTravel shouldn’t apologize for the move, but the refs and the league deserve a lot of blame for letting it happen in the past.

Selective rule enforcement doesn’t help the game. Make a rule and stick with it.

Mike Brown is a total sycophant. I have come to respect his ability to coach, but babying LeBron makes him look like a fawning puppet.

Getting buckets since 2003.

by Icantfeelmyface on Jan 4, 2009 10:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Reactions from Cav's fans

Mostly Cav’s fans are reacting to the travel call with disbelief…. Most saying that it was not a travel.. and others saying that Butler pushed LeBron that caused the extra step.

A very FEW are acknowledging that LeBron took 3 steps on the way to the basket.

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 4, 2009 11:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i'm seriously considering

changing my BF name to crab dribbler. this is fantastic – it should open Le’bron to some league-wide ridicule

by little stevie colter on Jan 4, 2009 11:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He seems to be saying with a nod and a wink that he deserves favoritism because the NBA is entertainment and needs to let its stars be stars, even if takes referees fudging calls on occasion in order to help stars put on a good show. He acknowledges that he is the only guy doing it. In a league with Kobe, CP3, and Wade, wouldn’t some other superstar be trying this successful move if it were um…not a travel? PS somebody find me some good pics of Deshawn heckling Lebron (his only major contribution to the Wizards).

by morethesamewiz on Jan 4, 2009 11:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

you're so right

i just read the more detailed quotes from him in the Post’s game story –
“that’s one of my plays…they (the refs) need to understand that’s not a travel”.
according the Post story, Mike Brown even agreed that it was a travel.
it would have been nice if the league had figured that out a few years ago

by little stevie colter on Jan 5, 2009 12:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Refs

need to understand that’s not a travel???? Is he serious??? A player dictating the rules to the referees?

by gbkdc on Jan 5, 2009 9:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It is Serious

Who was that referee who made that call? I wouldn’t be surprised if David Stern and/or Stu Jackson took that ref aside and “talked” to him about the call. The next time the Wizards play the Cavs, fully expect LeBron to take 8 “crab dribble” steps to the basket and there not be a call. The NBA is a perceived joke precisely because superstar players can tell the refs what to call and what not to.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Jan 5, 2009 9:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

All I can picture in my head...

is a t-shirt with a king crab on it (lebrons face in place of the crab’s) holding a basketball with the slogan, “how many steps does it take a crab to walk?”. I just wish I had some photoshop/illustrator skills to make this happen.

by TremendousUpside on Jan 4, 2009 11:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe that's the next shirt in the Bullets Forever store . . .

or the WizzNutzz store.

"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck

by George Templeton on Jan 5, 2009 12:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

sign me up for one

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 5, 2009 8:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Fact is

the refs made two great calls tonight:

1) The travel. I don’t care if James has crabs, he still shouldn’t be allowed three steps.

2) The offensive foul on the Gibson (?) leg-stick-out after a shot. If that call were made back in the day, Reggie Miller’s career would have consisted of a lot less free throws.

by MR on Jan 5, 2009 12:53 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's almost comical

“I don’t know what he said I did,” James said. “I was trying to get an explanation from him…..,” James said.

YOU TOOK 3 STEPS !!!!!!!

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Jan 5, 2009 8:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Cleveland Blog

Very mature post from Cavs blog Waiting for Next Year (t"Very mature" means I agree with it)

Waiting For Next Year

by hotplate on Jan 5, 2009 12:48 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

They're great

One of my favorite sites out there.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 5, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Holy wow

I like that guy.

On the same note, I have not seen the replay but here is my take on the James on James offensive foul that led to the Mike Brown ejection: It was a call that I would like to see made (ie an offensive player creates contact and gets called for it even though the defender is not completely set) however that is not the call that is usually made in the NBA. Brown had reason to complain. Welcome to our world.

by MR on Jan 5, 2009 1:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Completely Disagree

It was a call that I would like to see made (ie an offensive player creates contact and gets called for it even though the defender is not completely set) however that is not the call that is usually made in the NBA.

I don’t consider what happened to be “an offensive player creates contact”. In order for there to be a charge, the defensive player should have to “establish position”, whereby he sets both feet and squares himself to the offensive player. Otherwise no player would be able to drive to the basket because all the defender would have to do is get in the way.

It should have been called a block, but like you said, welcome to our world.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Jan 5, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm with cuppett

That wasn’t a good call.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Jan 5, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree it wasn't a good call

But what I said was I’d like for it to be the right call.

The way I remember the play was that, while Mike James didn’t have his feet set, Lebron James created the contact. That is different from a defensive player moving into a space and creating contact. I see a lot of lowering of the shoulder and bull rushing into a defender. That gets a call a lot (if you are a player of stature) and I don’t think it should. I guess I’m saying that I’d like to see defensive players given credit for having position even if their feet aren’t completely set…especially when they are moving backwards. Otherwise it just becomes football.

by MR on Jan 5, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That is What I Disagree With

I agree with this part of the statement:

I’d like to see defensive players given credit for having position…

But don’t agree with this part:

… even if their feet aren’t completely set

IMO, if you don’t have your feet set, then you don’t have position. Otherwise we’d have a league full of Anderson Varejao’s and instead of football, we’d have balet.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Jan 5, 2009 2:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Feels good but still does not make up for 06

LeTravel gets called for a walk in crunch time and makes up some crab dribble crap. Name me one coach or ref in America that has ever heard of a crab dribble? I guarantee no one has ever heard of it.

To be fair, I do not remember the last time a NBA player has actually admitting traveling of fouling.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 5, 2009 2:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs