LeBron James No-Show During Player Intros in Cleveland is Inexcusable
Last night in his second return to Cleveland, LeBron James was a no-show during pre-game intros. When pressed afterwards, he said he was “in the bathroom” when starting lineups were announced.
Some people see the no-show as no big deal. I have a huge problem with this though and here’s why:
Unless there really was an emergency bathroom situation (and it would had to have been truly serious), this move sends so many poor messages. It shows a level of immaturity and a thinner skin than I ever thought James had – because he knew they were going to boo, he didn’t want to give the Cleveland fans the satisfaction of him having to stand there and take it? Or he was still so pissed at the “garage” incident, his protest was not coming out for intros?
Above all, I think the part that bothers me the most about this is that he let his teammates take the abuse. Guys like Dwyane Wade have to sit there and take the heat meant for James while LeBron hangs out in the locker room? Taking venom that was likely only made worse when fans realized that James was in hiding? Not cool and not what leaders do. You can’t call yourself “The King” and accept the constant adulation that comes with being an NBA superstar and then turn around pull moves like this because people are going to boo you.
Maybe I’m overreacting (Kevin McHale and C-Webb clearly think it’s hilarious), but if I’m one of LeBron’s teammates, I would be pretty disappointed.
Do you think LeBron’s no-show is a big deal?
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March 30th, 2011 at 11:13 am
hakasan says:
would have loved for chuck/kenny to be there last night to put chris ‘clutch’ webber and kevin ‘always trying to get max money’ mchale in their places…
March 30th, 2011 at 11:14 am
hakasan says:
maybe that’s why lebron joined the heat… he clearly can’t take it…
March 30th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Mark says:
Hes a coward and a sell out…stand there like a man, take in the boos, smile, use it as motivation, thats what a real man would have done, its just a basketball game
March 30th, 2011 at 11:34 am
mules says:
It’s not even “just a basketball game”…it’s player intros…who gives a phuck?
March 30th, 2011 at 11:43 am
First & Foremost says:
But wait… what happened the first time those two teams played? Wasn’t he right there taking the fans best shots? For all we know, Dan Gilbert could have spiked his drinks and he really had to go. Those weren’t just mean muggin’ faces out there.
I don’t know about you, but ever since I was potty trained going to the bathroom is more important that ANYTHING else.
How would he look as a grown asz man defecating himself with his team down 20 in the first half? He’d need more than just a powder toss.
March 30th, 2011 at 11:44 am
QQ says:
You could tell Austin’s not here anymore…
If he is, NO WAY this story gets posted in Dime.
This no-show surprises no one. The biggest douche in the game.
March 30th, 2011 at 11:47 am
EN FUEGO says:
And we all thought that Chris Bosh was the biggest pussy on the team…
March 30th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Josh Q says:
This doesn’t matter, I already knew he was a bitch.
March 30th, 2011 at 11:51 am
panchitoooo says:
as long as he shows up on the court when its time to play he can do whatever he wants pre-game. leaders lead by example and lebron went for a triple double this game but the heat couldnt pull it out in the end. maybe if he didnt go for 27points 12 assists and 10 rebounds you could say theres a problem but since he did just sit back and enjoy the show…
March 30th, 2011 at 11:59 am
JAY says:
“I don’t know about you, but ever since I was potty trained going to the bathroom is more important that ANYTHING else.”
Have you ever stepped onto the court for warmup with a full bladder?? Or #2 about to come out? I never have and I don’t know of anybody else who has either. He’s not a 5 year old who got all prepared for a long family road trip, then 2 minutes down the road says, “Mom I have to pee”. The dude is a frikkin adult (age-wise anyway). How can you not know you need to shit or piss before u step onto the court?
I can’t recall this ever happening in the NBA before, or ANY sport for that matter. It’s all too coincidental for Lebron to not be there for intros after his entourage was denied parking in the building. Obviously it was a silent protest… which i would be 100% fine with if he just stood up like a man and admitted it. Lebron truly is a little bitch. This is the dude who some are calling the leader of the Miami Heat??
Where’s AB? I know for sure he’ll stand up for that shit and I wanna argue. Lol
March 30th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
bobby stew says:
he can do whatever he wants but this shows alot about his character. Why go into hiding? he may just like the attention but by losing last night he is certainly getting that now
March 30th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
NYK says:
he loves playing the villain now, he just needs to be talked about and the feeds on (negative) publicity. he needs to be on espn and si and dimemag and that people are buzzing about him regardless of a win or loss. the no-show guarantees that we’ll be talking about him.
it’s trollish behavior, baiting all of us into his trollishness. charlie sheen should call him out.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
panchitoooo says:
cheat on your wife, steal from friends and family, and not show up for the players intros are a few things that are INEXCUSABLE in my book! how could you do this to us lebron i cant believe you would stoop to this level. im so disappointed in your actions who cares about your triple double in the game. theres a huge problem, who cares if iverson missed pracitces or jordan used to fight his teammates, you missed the players intro and now the world is going to end. you will never be a leader even if you win a billion championships cause i said so and i know better than everyone cause i can write my opinion down and hit submit comment…i’ll loyaly hate you forever your biggest fan-panchitoooo
March 30th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
JAY says:
BTW, the Heat lost after Lebron pulls that shit.
“Karma’s a bitch”, eh Lebron? I guess he didn’t feel like taking the boos with his “soldiers”.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Austin Burton says:
Wow, I didn’t know so many people were in Miami’s bathroom before the game to confirm LeBron wasn’t in there.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
NTstateOFmind says:
not trying to add fuel to the fire, but what actually happened to Austin???
just curious to know since every other post on Dime has a comment referencing AB’s departure or absence
March 30th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
isay says:
Austin,
That’s not the point… The point is, he can’t take his medicine like a man. Everyone gets boo’d when they return to a former team after bailing on them the year before. Be a man and take it. He has proven time and time again that he lacks any sense of maturity or class.
Like it or not, he owes that to the fans. The fans are the reason that he gets paid what he does. If they want to boo him for being a complete bitch this offseason, they are entitled. He should have been out there. Period.
He is a grown man. Go to the bathroom before warmups or before intro’s.
March 30th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
i am a witness says:
lol hey clevelanders we’ll see u guys next year..ENJOY the LOTTERY bitches!!! Or yall can come down to south beach for our player intros at our championship parade ( im sure BRON will come out then lol). The more you boo and give lebron the attention the more u show u love him and miss him dearly…. PS dan claims bron quit in the playoffs …. well why the fuck will you try to sign him this summer after he quit? He makes himself sound like an asswipe. Dan GILBERT is makin an ASS out of himself and the entire city of CLEVELAND just embarrasses themselves daily with the hate bron antics. MOVE ON ! Bron didnt do anything to u guys individually or personally. He chose a bettter team and better “CITY” give him a break!
March 30th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Nigo says:
LOL – what a dbag. Mental Midget! The game was lost during player intros.
some people might not think its a big deal, but what if all 5 of them don’t show for player intros? LAME
I think he should get fined for that.
He is a grown ass man. He knows the timing of games and when to ‘use the bathroom’.
coward!
March 30th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Tha Boddy "DMV DUNKS" says:
If I gotta pee I go pee get off LeBrons back cause if he had to leave to piss while the Heat were down you all would burn him for that 2. Unless you were in the stall with him you don’t know what happened so get off his nutz
March 30th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
dagwaller says:
I’ve never heard of a player not showing up for intros…been to a bunch of games and I just assumed they were always there.
Take your dump before intros. How many times have you all been late to work just because of a dump? Do it once you get there. Cmon now.
March 30th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
panchitoooo says:
@isay
“Like it or not, he owes that to the fans. The fans are the reason that he gets paid what he does.”
this is the dumbest comment ive read this year. like it or not lebron doesnt owe anything to the fans except a championship and regardless of how many fans he has or not he still would get paid millions, stop talking out of your behind please…
the real reason why lebron missed the intros is cause he forgot to put on his “like mike” shoes…
March 30th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Honestly its about THINKING you dont have to take ur lumps..
This falls inline with the handshake, the preferred treatment, the entitlement..
This is about falling inline with the greats who have played before you..
Is it really a big deal he skipped intros??
If it was the first straw i MIGHT believe he was in the restroom but like i said this is another notch in the ol belt for Lebron..
To us fans it dont mean shit because we can interpret it either way.. But to other players who’ve switched teams and had to face venom??
He a BIATCH.. plain and simple.. and im with Cassidy you dont leave ur teammates out there to face that either if u have ONE OUNCE of leadership in ur body..
March 30th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
LakeShow84 says:
How many times has he missed intros before???
Weak ass excuse.. shouldve just manned up and said he didnt want to give them the satisfaction..
March 30th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Knicksfan84 says:
Wait a minute, isn’t this the same guy who went buckwild creating fake photo op intros with the Cavs etc…
This dude is a joke of a human being. Good basketball player though.
Lechoke
Lebum
Lefraud
Leclown
Ledoosh
Leb*tch
All those names seem fitting for him.
March 30th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
just me says:
What about his team? Is this the kinda guy you wanna go to war with? Quits during the playoffs, quits on HIS hometown then TAPS out during intro’s…..Chump with money = Lebron James
March 30th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
jerkishbehavior.com says:
All u guys must be from Cleveland cuz its not that big of a deal, u act like they didn’t have the next 2 and half hours to boo him if they choose. I thought the shit was hilarious regardless of where be was or doing. Clearly none of u guys played sports before if u think player intros r a big deal for a random reg season gm
March 30th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
isay says:
panchitooo,
Are you kidding me? Think for a second, if that is possible. If us fans did not pay the money we do for tickets, jerseys, food and beverage at the game, etc. these players would not make the money they do. If we did not place the importance that we do on basketball, the money would not be nearly the same. “He still would get paid millions…” You are a fool. We choose to place a high level of importance on basketball and we pay a lot of money to be entertained by these guys. If we did not, where would the money come from???? You would make a terrible business man.
The point is that if LeBron had any nuts, he would look at the situation objectively and make the right choice. He would have been there for intro’s. He would understand that he is one of the most polarizing figures on the planet and sometimes, you have to take the good with the bad. Instead, he bitched out.
Not a surprise that a person like you would support him. You sound foolish and uneducated.
March 30th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Ekstor says:
@jerkishbehavior.com
You make a great point… except for one fact. It was obviously a big enough deal to LeBron that HE didn’t want to be there during intros.
Even worse is the fact that he uses the bathroom as an excuse. Just like his excuse that the “karma is a b***h” tweet had nothing to do with Cavs losing in LA on the same night he’s in town. Just like the tape of him being dunked on by a college player magically disappears after it happens…
Great player? Yes. Supreme talent? Yes.
Man of integrity?
March 30th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
That's What's Up says:
Can everyone please quit with all of this Lebron hate?
He doesn’t deserve it AT ALL.
well, wait, fuck him…….and his douchenicity.
big-ass crybaby bitch
March 30th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
LMNOP says:
It reminds me of being in school when you’d deliiberatly go for a piss at the end of lunch just to miss the first 5 minutes of a lesson… only.. teenagers are supposed to behave like morons, LeBron is a grown ass man and supposed to be a leader on his team.
either that or maybe Bron got his dick burned by some MIA hooker and didnt want anyone to see so he had to wait for some solitude to piss…. that reminds me of school days too, but thats a whole nother story.
March 30th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
dung says:
lebrons a biatch
March 30th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
The Goods says:
Weak, typical Lebron move. Am I surprised? Not at all, Miami better have something for us in the Playoffs or else this has been one of the biggest sham, hype machines ever created for one season. I still can’t see how D Wade can get with all of this. Bron highjacks his team and then does this ish? Pretty much out of things to say about Bron, good or bad.
March 30th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
K Dizzle says:
Maaaaaan, if Kobe had pulled this shit in Colorado, I wouldn’t be a Laker fan today. like most posts sayin, “Be a man.”
To answer PC’s question, ‘Is this a big deal?’
No, not really. It’s Lebron…..
March 30th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Stunnaboy2K11 says:
I’m not buying the bathroom excuse, no way. Unless it was a heavenly dump that took 30 minutes. If he needed to go to the bathroom he had ALL DAY to do so.
Abandoning his teammates? Not cool. Not what a leader is suppose to do.
You know what I hate the most? If he came out and said “I missed because I was protesting the garage thing, my teammates got my back on it” I would be 100% FOR him. That’s how you handle it. But he backed down, same thing with the tweet, same thing with most comments he makes. He can’t own up t it. I just don’t get why.
Bron Bron… when will you learn.
March 30th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Mark says:
This is his job. I’m more pissed Comish $tern didn’t fine him. In YOUR job, if you don’t even ACT professionally one you could lose your job. I don’t understand how keep pushing good PR if they don’t punish players for ignorance, or NOT DOING YOUR JOB.
Well, at least he got us riled up and talking again. Bron is good PR I guess.
March 30th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Austin Burton says:
His job is to play basketball, and if you missed it, he performed his job pretty well last night (27-10-12). Like I said, LeBron has already faced Cleveland’s boos before, and its not like he wasn’t getting booed during warmups and during the game. And he’s faced boos in every arena in the league this year. So it doesn’t even make sense that he’d bail on intros out of fear.
March 31st, 2011 at 7:43 am
JD says:
that’s right – no point in hiding cuz in the end he had to go all nuts given them another triple doubles…
March 31st, 2011 at 8:47 am
JAY says:
@ AB: “And he’s faced boos in every arena in the league this year. So it doesn’t even make sense that he’d bail on intros out of fear.”
Exactly, he bailed in protest. And when given the chance to give his reason he bailed on the truth. You know as well as everyone else here he didn’t have to piss for 10 minutes.