Dime #58: LeBron vs. The World
Thanks to the Radio City Music Hall marquee operator and a few too many loose lips close to the process, the “surprise” Jay-Z concert to cap Day 1 of the World Basketball Festival wasn’t much of a surprise to the observant attendee.
No, what ended up being the surprise of the night was how LeBron James was received by the New York City crowd inside the iconic theater.
If you’ve consumed any sports media at all since July 8, you’d get the impression that Everybody Hates LeBron. From reaction to “The Decision” to responses aimed at his recent Twitter post vowing revenge on his critics, LeBron had seemingly turned himself into the NBA’s foremost villain.
But as he sat along the sideline at the specially constructed basketball court at Radio City, flanked by the likes of Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Amar’e Stoudemire to watch Team USA’s inter-squad scrimmage, LeBron got the loudest ovation of any player in the building aside from NYC native Lamar Odom. “We want LeBron!” chants rose from the floor-level crowd as D-Wade, CP and Amar’e each did interviews during timeouts. You would think that in NYC, capital city of critics and haters — not to mention one of the cities LeBron turned down in free agency — Villain LeBron would surely be booed.
But apparently, there is still some love for King James out there.
And even if there wasn’t, we were still going to put LeBron on the cover of this month’s issue. Why? Because nobody has defined this NBA offseason — never mind the past regular and postseason — more than LeBron. Whether he’d chosen Miami, New York, Chicago, Cleveland or Oyak Renault of the Turkish League, LeBron was the biggest story of the biggest summer in NBA history.
For our cover story, we explored the reasons and reactions to LeBron’s decision. But more than that, Dime’s Austin Burton goes into how LeBron’s actions this offseason may have set the tone for the future of player power moves. If they didn’t realize it before, today’s NBA athletes know they aren’t merely pawns to be shuffled around a chessboard by GM’s and owners. If they have the talent and the earning power, players can control their own destiny. Not long after LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh joined in Miami, there was talk of Amar’e bringing Carmelo Anthony and either Chris Paul or Tony Parker to New York; and as other superstars become free agents, it will only continue. Further down the line, we’re seeing more and more high school stars align to sign with their friends and other stars at the college of their choice.
Dime #58 isn’t all about LeBron. We also have features on Carlos Boozer‘s new life in Chicago, Marc Gasol, Monta Ellis‘ ink, Trevor Ariza‘s offseason training, a FIBA World Championship preview, and the fastest-rising Lottery pick in college basketball, among others. Plus our coverage of the summer’s hottest sneakers, the dopest shoe company you’ve never heard of, and one of Chicago’s top sneaker spots.
The issue is available on newsstands now. Trust us, you’ll want to pick it up.
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August 16th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
hahns says:
nice cover
August 16th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
karizmatic says:
You guys hit it on the head with that last statement about Lebron. Players may have known it before, but Lebron’s move made it patently clear that the NBA competitive balance can definitely be controlled by the players and that GM’s may not be much more than high paid recruiters. As the players come to see themselves more in terms of branding and business models, they are coming to see that they don’t have to leave it up to the GM’s to make personnel decisions. It’s an interesting new age for the league and perhaps for sports in general.
However, the players shouldn’t be surprised by any hate or criticism that comes their way. Yeah they might have more power or more rights, but that means they also have a responsibility to use that power the right way and sometimes that’s not always about “what’s good for me as an individual or as a brand.”
August 16th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Joe's Momma says:
I think all this LBJ hate will be gone by next year. If he comes with the same game he has the past 7 years, people will again fall in love with him. Right now it is politically correct for people to bash him. There is no denying this boy is a legit superstar in a league where there are only a handful.
I think some fans are bashing him because they are afraid of the Heat and their brilliantly played off-season. Whether it was years in the making or days. Me personally, I say the players who are saying “We aint scared of Miami” better prove it come time. This team is loaded, but they have some holes.
For LBJ to really come out a winner after this hit he took to his “brand” he has to win 3 or more rings in the next 6 years. Then, since he is younger than Wade, he has to win one without Wade just to catch up since Wade won one in 2006.
But what he needs to really do is shut his mouth. Stop saying all this silly non-sense and go out and handle business. His biggest problem is that he talks too much, and with the twitter b.s. it only is getting worse.
I aint a LBJ fan, but he is really getting a bad rap. The only people who have the right to boo him is Cleveland. Not NY, not Chi, not NJ, only Cleveland. Lets face it, he burned that team and their franchise value will plummett, and the only game on national TV now will be when the play Miami in Cleveland, and again that is only because of LBJ.
August 16th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
AZ says:
Lol….you actually mean LeBron n Dime vs. The World.
August 16th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Diggity Dave says:
Bah, didn’t see this issue at Barnes and Nobles today. Boo!
August 16th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Tim W says:
cool, hopefully I receive this issue in my subscription!
August 16th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Beth G says:
Not sure how many of these you’ll be able to sell in Cleveland…
August 16th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Mtx says:
LeBron’s problem is that he is surrounded by bad people, like that asshole Maverick Carter.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Claw says:
That’s great, lets all sign together and be friends, this competition and pressure stuff is way too heavy.
Its a joke, terrible for the league and Lebron hate will NEVER go away its only started and he can’t keep his foot out of his mouth, and to say they are the favorites is ridiculous. I don’t think this team will win as many games as the Cavs last year, they don’t have a supporting cast and their frontline is not a force. He gets taken out in the first round and that just adds to the pressure.
August 17th, 2010 at 12:18 am
futuristic handgun says:
You don’t even know Maverick Carter idiot lol
August 17th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Heckler says:
@ Dime–
with a cover like this, how many publications do you plan to sell in Ohio?
..and how many subscribers from Ohio, Cleveland specifically, will cancel their memberships due to this cover?
August 17th, 2010 at 10:57 am
POPPI GEE says:
I like it when Dime ask the reader’s who they think should be on the cover. I don’t think they would have chose James.
I mean it’s nice and all just kinda expected.
I would have rathered someone else. I mean but you can’t please everyone and no matter who you had someone would be pissed.
Honestly I feel like it would have been a good time to cover MJ with so much going on free agency wise, Dream Team wise, WBF wise. Even Magic would have been a nice look.
Anyway I will keep hitting the stores till I find this issue, what is up with the online preview, yall still got John Wall up there?
August 17th, 2010 at 11:54 am
supreme says:
damn, dime. did you guys run this lebron cover twice in as many days because the comments were low?! haha
August 17th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Mike Mihalow says:
I hate LBGay like LBGay hates Cleveland:
http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/201009/lebron-james-september-gq-miami-heat-summer-lebronathon
August 17th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Diggity Dave says:
Who gives a fuck what Ohio thinks about a magazine? Oh noes, the market will crash if Ohio doesn’t like this month’s Dime. It’ll sell big in Akron.
Otherwise, there’s an entire world outside of Ohio, believe it or not.
August 17th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Coney Islander says:
The state of Ohio should thank that man everyday they wake up! We are here talking about one of the most irrelevant places on planet earth! That state could burn to the ground and the only time we’d notice is the start of the college football season when the Buckeyes are missing!
August 18th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
bballeducator says:
Lebron vs. the World?
I dont think so
how about lebron and two other top 10 NBA talents vs. the rest. Remember he couldn’t do it by himself….he is no longer the man….I love that he STILL poses like hes so determined and a bad ass, but in reality he just gave in and admitted to the world he cant do it.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
BIG WILLIE says:
LEBRON IS THE MAN PERIOD. IDIOTS
August 19th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
DONT HATE says:
I’m sick of Lebron haters out there, never giving anyone props, no matter how tight they are.
August 19th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
dagwaller says:
Love this site, love dimemag. Keep up the great work fellas.