Unsportsmanlike conduct. Number 23.

by Rook6980 on May 31, 2009 1:16 PM EDT Comment 18 comments

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

I won't make any bones about it... I'm not a LeBron James fan. Oh sure, he's the best and most talented player. He can take a mediocre team to the playoffs, and to the brink of the League Finals. From the time he was drafted out of High School, he has been crowned the "next" big thing in the NBA. The new face of the NBA. That has to come with a tremendous amount of pressure.

There may not be a more mature 24 year old in all of sports right now, but it sure didn't show last night. After his Cavaliers were bounced from the 2009 Playoffs, LeBron James had the opportunity to show some class. Show the kids watching, how LeBron James can lose like a champion. Instead LeBron looked every bit the spoiled, "entitled" dethroned King. He walked off the court, got dressed, put on his headphones, and got on the team bus.

He walked off the court without offering a single handshake of congratulations to any Magic players or Coaches. He left the court, without staying even a few seconds to congratulate "friend" and fellow Olympian Dwight Howard. He couldn't be bothered to tell the opposing Coach "Good job, and good luck against L.A." It wasn't important enough to show up at the post-game interview; instead passing off that difficult task to teammate Mo Williams.

If this is the new face of the NBA, I'd rather watch Rugby. At least after the game, missing teeth and all, they line up and congratulate each other.

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Great point.

I noticed that he didn’t shake any hands at the end of the game. Thought that was lame.

by MR on May 31, 2009 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I noticed that, too.

Yeah, I honestly didn’t have much of a problem with LeBron this season, but last night showed a lot about his character (or lack thereof). I know you have the right to be upset and sulk, but it doesn’t take much to shake a couple of hands. That’s just good sportsmanship and is a lot different from sticking around to talk to the press.

by whippb on May 31, 2009 2:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

LeBaby continues to show his true colors

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Truth About It on May 31, 2009 2:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Biggest problem is

The national media will never even notice those types of things. Let alone make mention of them. Only fans of teams that are rivals to the Cavs (Washington, Boston, Detroit etc.) notice those types of things. They are simply overlooked by the media and Cavs fans only because it is Lebron “can do no wrong” James.

by lj15 on May 31, 2009 4:22 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

and that's one reason why blogs like this exist

to call the media out when they don’t take notice of these types of things.

by Pryme on May 31, 2009 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They seem to be noticing

by MR on May 31, 2009 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rec'd

That is the truth plain and simple.

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

by George Templeton on May 31, 2009 4:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

that was meant to be a reply to lj15's comment

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

by George Templeton on May 31, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Being a good loser...

is one of the cardinal rules of sportsmanship. You can go home and kick all kinds of objects (hopefully inanimate ones) privately afterwards, but shaking the winner’s hand and saying something like “nice job” or “you were really on tonight” or “great game” is simply good form at any and all levels of competition. LeBron James behaved like a spoiled brat and I hope that someone on the toadying staff of the Cavaliers has the gumption to call him for it. He owes his opponents, his fans, the league and the game a strong apology.

It’s funny, I did not realize how seriously I was going to react to this until I started thinking about it and reading these other comments.

by khrabb on May 31, 2009 5:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

nuggets/lakers

after that series, kobe made it a point to not only embrace the Nuggets players, but ESPECIALLY his fellow dream teamer, Carmelo. LeBron could learn a thing or two

http://www.hoopsaddict.com/author/rashad/

by rashad20 on May 31, 2009 7:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

LeBron Responds:

"It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand."

What a guy. If Arenas had said that, he would be crucified by the basketball talking heads.

by Pryme on May 31, 2009 8:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This guy has the worst PR instincts in the world

With this incident and the crab-dribble incident, he knows how to bury himself worse and worse. What an ass.

by MR on May 31, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're being too hard on LeBron

It’s not like players in other sports congratulate the winners after the competition is over. Except for football. And hockey, tennis, soccer, boxing, every Olympic sport, ….

When other players congratulate LeBron after he has beat them, LeBron views that as a sucker’s move for softies who aren’t as competitive as he is. And Isiah Thomas is.

by disgrunted on May 31, 2009 9:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I mean imagine if everyone told you how great you were since you were a kid. And then imagine that you went to the NBA as the first draft pick. Then when you got there some guys had the nerve to foul your lip all the time. Then imagine the audacity of a team beating you and depriving you of the title that David Stern promised you. Would YOU want to shake their stupid little hands?

by MR on May 31, 2009 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You know it's a screwed up world when.....

MIKE TYSON appears to be a better sportsman than LeBron James…

LeBron James (after losing Game 6 to the Magic): "If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor. That’s what I do. It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand."

Mike Tyson (after getting beat up in the Lennox Lewis fight) : His voice was low, the blood from his shattered nose and cuts above both eyes filling his mouth and tumbling out in faint arcs with each word. "Lennox Lewis is a masterful boxer, a genius in the ring tonight. He is so big and strong and I don’t think there is any way I could have beaten him."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgQJ3ege6g4

Of course, David Stern’s lackeys at ESPN, TNT and the other networks will make sure to spin LePoorSport’s comments in a positive way.

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

by Rook6980 on May 31, 2009 11:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They'll probably talk about how he's "just so competitive"

Then compare him to Jordan (who did a similar thing) and make it out to be a good thing that he didn’t congratulate the Magic.

by pantslessyoda1 on May 31, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or maybe it was because he had so much chalk on his hands from his little pre-game fairy dust toss, and he was just being considerate, not wanting to get the chalk on the Magic players and coaches.

Hilarious comparison to Tyson.

by disgrunted on Jun 1, 2009 6:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs