LeBron James is NOT Michael Jordan, but he IS an egotistical asshole

Down by more than 20 points in game five against Phoenix, LeBron James and injured Lakers star Anthony Davis decided to go to the locker room to as James said, “start preparing” for game six. 

Could you imagine Magic, Larry, or Michael doing something like this? Maybe they wanted to get started on treatment to be ready for game 6, but in the big picture, the game lasted another 15-20 minutes. I find it hard to believe that those 15 minutes of treatment will matter in the big picture. A great player doesn’t abandon his team in a moment like this, a great player still leads his team, but has LeBron ever really been a leader?

The GOAT?

Basketball’s GOAT debate may still rage on in social media, debate shows, and bar conversations on a near-daily basis, but it’s settled in LeBron James head … and it has been for a few years now.

LeBron is the greatest of all time, according to LeBron.

James came to that conclusion after the 2016 NBA Finals, which were won by his Cleveland Cavaliers. After falling into a three-games-to-one series hole against the mighty Golden State Warriors, LeBron led the Cavs to three straight wins (two of them coming on the road) and recorded a triple-double in the decisive Game 7.

He was the unanimous Finals MVP and, more importantly, he delivered on his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown Cavaliers — they’re first in franchise history.

At that point, LeBron was ready to call himself the best.

Did LeBron have a point?

• Did Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson ever do anything as legacy-defining as LeBron’s 2016 victory?

“That one right there made me the greatest player of all time … that’s what I felt,” LeBron told business partners Maverick Carter, Randy Mims, and Rich Paul during an episode of ESPN’s “More Than An Athlete” series.

LeBron, hell, I remember when Kareem Abdul Jabbar was injured in game 5 of the 1980 NBA Finals. Instead of packing it in, Magic went to the Spectrum in Philadelphia and freaking played center! Not only did he play center, but he also scored 42 points, dominated the game, and led the Lakers to a blowout win on the road to clinch a World Championship. Did I mention in 1980 Magic Johnson was a damn rookie!

Let’s look at Michael Jordan, ever hear of the flu game LeBron? Or how about nailing the game-winning shot in the 98 NBA Finals on the road. LeBron must be uneducated on the history of the men that allowed him to become rich. Michael, Magic, and Larry made the NBA popular, a case can be made that LeBron has made the NBA less popular.

Why LeBron is a hypocritical ass

James is a social justice warrior who claims to be highly educated and he has stood up for many issues when people are mistreated but only if it’s people that don’t hurt his pocketbook. Swedish soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović said that athletes like LeBron James should “stick to what they’re good at, and leave politics to politicians.” While it’s idiotic to think we should leave politics to politicians, a less self-important person would’ve just ignored this foolishness instead of responding and coming off as phony. James, whose ego blinds him from self-awareness, took the bait. “There’s no way I would ever just stick to sports,” he said. “because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is. “I would never shut up about things that are wrong,” he added.

The problem is that he has no issue with China. Why is that? The NBA is huge in China and it would hurt his wallet to speak out against them. What is happening in China should have everybody pissed off, the people there especially. More than a million Uighur Muslims have been detained over the past few years in what it calls “re-education camps,” which is dead wrong. But the NBA forward hasn’t used his powerful platform and voice to say a word about a situation that the U.S. State Department has characterized as “genocide.” Why? The simple answer is he can’t make money off it.

Back to the game

Enough politics, Michael Jordan just played the game, that’s what people want. I am not saying players should not use their platforms for issues they strongly believe in, but it should never be used to cash in. As for the Lakers, the team is no longer super like they were supposed to be last year. Outside of James and Davis no other superstars exist and it would be crazy to think they can win it all. Is it crazy to think that the self-proclaimed “greatest” could give it his all to make a run at it? Could you imagine Michael Jordan giving up? 

I can’t.