Where Have the LeBron Haters Gone?
LBJ (photo. Mannion)I’m not sure whether ESPN finally came to their senses and told Skip Bayless to go kick rocks, or whether we just haven’t turned on that God-awful “First and 10″ show at the Dime office in months, but I haven’t heard nearly as much LeBron hating without Bayless giving that smarmy face and calling him “Prince James.”
In fact, not only is the loudest, most annoying anti-LeBron voice gone from the public eye, but it seems like everyone who maligned him has taken a vow of silence. And that’s not just because he’s a likable dude off the court – the Danny Zuko Halloween costume, and Nicole Scherzinger ads prove that pretty well.
I’m not sure when this happened, but LeBron has become an incredibly smart basketball player. It’s almost like he took a page out of Kobe‘s book, calculating who steps up to guard him and then attacking them where they are the weakest. Last night was a perfect example: with Derrick Rose checking him for a possession, LeBron slid through the lane literally three feet from the rim. He caught a lob directly in front of the tin and dropped it in with Rose pinned in no-man’s land.
With Drew Gooden on him later in the first half, LeBron stepped out to the perimeter and jabbed Gooden about 12 times – if you were in the Q, I’m sure that Gooden’s screams of “Help! Please, somebody, help!” were audible – before making a move and then finding Delonte West wide open on the other side of the floor.
He burned Gooden and Nocioni consistently off the dribble, and overpowered Ben Gordon with his backside. When the Cavs let Chicago back into the game in the fourth, LeBron came up with a timely steal, and a pretty and-1 scoop lay-in on Gooden. All in all, only TWO of James’ thirteen field goals came from outside of the paint on the night. That’s just another way to say that LeBron is maximizing his physical gifts. There’s nothing the haters can say to that.
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November 6th, 2008 at 9:52 am
TBone says:
Agreed!!!!
Long live the King
November 6th, 2008 at 9:55 am
doc says:
The greatest 23 year old I ever saw.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:59 am
RENO says:
When Lebron gets a post game…. GAME OVER for the League.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:04 am
A-Slam says:
lmao! that’s hilarious “Help! Please, somebody, help!”
November 6th, 2008 at 10:16 am
rlf says:
HA-HA-HA, how much does lebron’s camp pay you guys to be all over him?
please, no one ‘hates’ on lebron, lebron practically owns espn.
it is ridiculous the things you come up with. get some CREDIBILITY
do you guys at dime even have a college education? know the meaning of ETHICS?
for your stupid poll question, it was more impressive what tony parker did, he is a point guard, lebron is a beast(by looks too, ugly man) and amare is a beast, it doesn’t count as much.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:26 am
fallinup says:
No doubt, Bron is improving. But I’ll still rag on him until he begins to hit free throws in the clutch. Another thing, I don’t see him improving a skill that he is lacking in every year. As with MJ, he was seen as just a dunker at the beginning, then improved his jumper, post game, fade away, and the 3 pointer. You could see the improvement every year…With Lebron, the progression is slower…but yeah, he’s only 23 friggin years old.
I’d imagine at least 3 years is needed to fully get used to the NBA. It’s defenses, movements, quickness, and then getting used to all of the different players. As with MJ…it took him some time to truly dominate, and win games.
I’ll drool over Lebron in a few more years I’m sure. But right now…I still won’t call him the King.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:34 am
White Boy says:
Explain how dime purposely points out the misprint on Palin website and accuses her of lying (multiple times) and mentions nothing of Obama lies. IF YOU A BASKEBALL WEBSITE STICK TO BASKETBALL. DONT BE POLITICAL.
Here is another lie.
In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without “preparations” at lower levels … Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin … while the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered “I would” to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without “any” preconditions. While your judgment about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
CJ says:
Anyone notice before the game that 9 players were waiting for the game to start before Lebron finally finished his high five boobie/take off warmup/spray powder in air/give everyone pound warmup? I’m a huge King James fan, and have very little doubt that he is the best in the world and will be the GOAT, but his actions before the game really seemed conceited and got to me.
Everyone else is waiting, everyone knows you’re the man, enough with the narcissitic overdramatic ad-driven showmanship, at some point it all seems fake.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:00 am
fallinup says:
@ #7 ….seriously???
That’s soooo two days ago. Unless I’m mistaken, the election is over. This is basketball website….not basket BAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!!!! website. haha
November 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
weezy f says:
get the fuck over it mccain lost..white boy your a fag!
anyway bayless also called dwight howard unathletic..are you kidding me?
November 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
GEE...Big Brotha Almightyyyy! says:
One more trade for Cleveland and a new coach and
ut oh!
November 6th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Rockstar says:
all the Brob Bron hate turned into Melo hate
November 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Blue says:
I agree with fallinup…against the celts in the first game he was cold from the line in the 4th. i think i mostly hate on lebron because everybody crowned him king before he even stepped on an NBA court. most players have to work for their rep. my boy d-wade was the forgotten third wheel with lebron and melo, but he carved out a name for himself.
but that’s just my humble opinion!
November 6th, 2008 at 11:36 am
LakeShow84 says:
This site is made to jock Lebron..
Yes Lebron is maximizing his gifts but he needs to EXPAND his gifts.. Maximizing his gifts shouldve been worked out in the first couple years.. Dude been in the league for 5-6 years and still cant hit clutch jump shots or FREEBIES?? and hes the king?? Rigggghhhhhhhtttttt..
Where are the game winning jumpers? he can go on a tear and hit J’s but the next game he shoots horribly.. His form is STILL horrible so you can tell he isnt doing much to refine it.. Its a shame..
Out of that draft class id pick Dwade cuz when it came down to it he got the ring.. I wouldnt knock Lebron on that but he didnt ONE game.. Really dime?? the KING of all BASKETBALL couldnt get going and win one game in the finals?? And dwade has won a lot of their matchups going toe to toe, score for score with LBJ.. no doubt hes second best in the NBA but dont be foolish.. He is not the KING of squat..
But thats just my humble opinion!
So there you go.. Some hating for good ol Bron Bron..
November 6th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Andrew Katz says:
Haha ok well I guess all the LeBron haters aren’t gone… But seriously, the guys who’ve been on here for a while know that people were giving us a ton of flack for hating LeBron but loving Kobe.
I’m not saying that LeBron is the best player in the world or the greatest player of all time. I’m saying that he’s still improving within the context of a game. Instead of starting every possession with a pass to him on the wing, he’s mixing up looks. I didn’t call him the King of anything here, I just said that the dude did a nice job last night scoring 11 of his 13 field goals from inside the paint.
In fact, I’d side with what fallinup said, and agree that he needs to improve in some other key areas as well. It always seems like late in the game against big-time opponents, he gets a good look at the basket, but can’t convert.
Remember, though he’s improving, he is human.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:54 am
jeremy says:
skip bayless is my hero
November 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
doc says:
Regardless what people say Lebron is the shit.Mike J was broke when he was 23 too.Not tomention he was only in his 3rd year still getting slamdanced out the first round.Like I said he’s 23 and me you or nobody else ever saw a better 23 year old swingman.If the internet and dime was out in 87 it would be funny to look at the archives and see the same kind of dickheads talking about how Mike aint shit but a gunner who will never win shit and people saying he can be great and callhim AIR Jordan are dickriding assholes who are biased.Yeah we know how that turned out.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
Kobe’s still the best in the “L”. No question about it.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
If I have one guy taking the last shot for the game 7 W, it’s Kobe.
If I’m the opposing coach and my team is playing in game 7, I want to make sure Kobe doesn’t get the ball .
If I don’t have the ball and I have one defender to guard the three, I want Kobe guarding the guy with the ball.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
doc says:
Not if Beantown is that team.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
doc says:
Just fuckin with u haterade Kob the best right now,but nothing scarier than a 28 year old Bron.The crazy thing is thats 5 seasons away.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Drink the Haterade (KB24 Chip 09) says:
@ Doc–
I know, in five years it will be Bron’s league, but I just hate when people hate on Kobe all day just cause they aint got him on their team. Dude scores 81 and they bitch cause he took so many shots, dude scores 62 in 3 and they bitch cause he has no assists…
For so long Kobe has been damned… He’s the ultimate Love to love or love to hate player. When the Lakers sucked and he took all those shots and they won they were happy, he’d take all those same shots the next game and complain cause they didn’t win and say he took too many shots.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
QuEsT??? says:
@ reno, actually, when lebron develops a consitent jump shot and three point shot, then he will be unstopable
November 6th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Hater of the Year says:
Haters are still here, hating.
Lebron still cant dribble particularly well or shoot well. He still whines while getting more calls his way than Michael Jordan ever did.
http://www.laballtalk.com/2008/05/03/refs-ruin-basketball/
read the section about Brelon
November 6th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
dagwaller says:
Man, imagine if instead of criticism, all Lebron ever got was unconditional love.
Maybe he’d never have learned to maximize his physical gifts. He’d probably still think that he was a 3 point threat.