Why Does LeBron James have a Chip on his Shoulder?
October 25th 2010 23:15
When LeBron James addressed the backlash from “The Decision” a few weeks ago, he did something he should not have and probably regrets in hindsight. He took the easy way out, deflected responsibility and blame, and told the world that the vitriolic reaction to his Decision was motivated by race. He shared some tweets that made their way to his Twitter page over the last few months that truly carried some venom toward the new Miami Heat star. As shocking and disturbing as some people’s attitude toward LeBron is, to say that any of the hate is racially motivated is just plain dumb.
I don’t know if LeBron consulted or got approval from his P.R. staff before going down this road, or if he decided one day that he would just come out and say it. I do know that his accusation is completely off base. How do I know? It does not take great feats of logic to figure this one out, but LeBron could not. His ego and arrogance blinded him. He couldn’t see that what he perceived as racially motivated and misplaced hate was actually frustration and despair over being betrayed and disappointed by LeBron himself.
Let’s look at the timeline of facts to spell this out. LeBron builds up the drama over his free agent decision, throws himself into the spotlight, stabs the only fan base he’s ever known—in his home town, no less—in the back by leaving, and burns all bridges to Cleveland and the Cavs on his way out of the city. Has another athlete in history ever disrespected a fan base more than LeBron did with the Cavs this summer? In my young sports following career, I know of none worse.
Come on LeBron, really? You have got to be brighter than this. The rage directed at you is completely unwarranted and out of line? You don’t deserve any of it?
One of the telltale signs of pride is an inability to identify, and then assume, responsibility for things that go wrong. What was in reality a public display of disloyalty, disrespect, and ingratitude, is seen by James as the collective overreaction of an ant colony. His reaction is indicative of a few things: his massive ego (which doesn’t really need further explanation), a disregard for other people, and a startling insecurity.
First, by abandoning, then publicly humiliating Cleveland, LeBron showed he does not care about people who can no longer benefit him. At the height of his reign in Cleveland, Cavs fans played a crucial role in LeBron feeling significant and beloved. As a result, he treated them well (or did he?). When he decided that he wanted to leave, Cavs fans, the organization, and owner Dan Gilbert lost all value with him. Can you guess what happened? He treated them like dirt in one of the most humiliating displays imaginable. This has been said repeatedly, but LeBron’s advisors would almost certainly like a mulligan on “The Decision.” LeBron himself? He doesn’t seem to care how it played out.
Second, LeBron is manifesting an insecurity that is surprising for someone who has as much to be secure in as he does. This is evident in his need to snipe at vengeful fans and blame them. A guy who is innocent and at peace with himself—the Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Derek Fisher type—would not even validate fan and media criticism by responding. Guys like that will much sooner take the P.R. hit on the chin, let the words roll off their back, and be diplomatic in relating to the fans. Who cares what they say? I know who I am, what I’m capable of, and what I stand for. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. Nothing that anyone says about me will shake my self-perception. LeBron’s ego will not allow him to take that hit or deflect criticism. He cares so much about what people say about him, we just didn’t know it until recently because no one ever said anything negative about him.
LeBron has a lot going for him that he does not seem to recognize. The resume of identity markers: most physically dominant force to ever play basketball, good looks, immeasurable talent, fame, money, and even more. That is a lot to be secure in, but his need to abandon responsibility for the Cleveland breakup and assign blame suggests that those things are not enough to make him feel good about himself. In one sense, this is something that we should all pity LeBron for. There must be some serious issues lingering underneath the surface for this person to be dissatisfied in his self-concept. Underneath that incredible physique, magnanimous smile, and otherworldly talent lies a boy who ultimately cannot live without the validation of others and refuses to accept the times when he is wrong.
This latest story and the ones that prefaced sure don’t reflect well on LeBron James, but we should remember that he is young, still just 25 years-old, and has a lot of time to learn from his shortcomings—even if he doesn’t yet realize that they are such. The development of LeBron as a man will be a fascinating story to track over his next 5 seasons as he embarks on his journey with the Heat.
Teaming up with The Flash and Chris Bosh will help us grade LeBron on the classic report card category: “plays well with others.”
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