LeBron James made a fool of himself in front of millions of television viewers. No, I’m not talking about his last playoff series against Boston, though that did his image no favors. This time he expressed his immaturity in the form of a 90-second commercial.
Throughout his latest Nike ad, LeBron asks the question, “What should I do?” The question is directed toward the many people who were critical of the way he handled his departure from Cleveland. To these people, LeBron offers a sort of multiple-choice test. Among the answers provided: accepting his role as the villain, admitting that he did it for the money or just disappearing.
In a long and drawn-out way, he is sarcastically asking for permission to move on with his life.
I think most people are willing to grant him that permission. At least rational fans agree that he should continue playing basketball. I mean, besides becoming a sub-par ESPN analyst, what else could he really do?
But it appears LeBron is still looking in the rear-view mirror. He is trying to make it look like critics have not gotten over his public screwing of Cleveland when, in reality, he is the one who refuses to move on.
If he is so insistent on bringing up the past, then perhaps, “What should I have done?” would have been a more adequate question. At least then he might be forced to address his exit strategy, which was the biggest cause of anger and resentment among fans in the first place.
But taking responsibility for a mistake is not in LeBron’s genes. Since coming to Cleveland, he has been eager to point out his accomplishments and has left all forms of self-criticism in the bullpen.
Taking the blame is something true leaders do, which is just one reason why LeBron is anything but a leader. That is what prompted his move to Miami. He knew he would be unable to lead a team to a championship, so he joined one that already had two superstars.
His rationale was that, by joining the Heat, he would win championships and secure his legacy in NBA history. It’s funny, though, that in going to Miami to secure a legacy, he might have ensured the opposite.
But I’m sure that is of little concern to LeBron right now. His objective, at least with his latest commercial, is to gain favor from fans and paint himself as a victim of unfair treatment.
Never mind that, by not informing the Cavaliers of his decision, he made it virtually impossible for the team to acquire top-notch free agents. Never mind that he humiliated the Cleveland fan base by announcing to the world his decision to leave. Those things hardly matter when dealing with the tragedy of a king in search of a ring.
By moving to Miami, LeBron’s chances of winning those rings might have improved. But if his latest ad is a bellwether of future behavior, winning hearts will still prove a worthy challenge.
