Listen to internet radio with Ronny Carlton on Blog Talk Radio

Lebron James: American Son

The Lebron James story, it should be one of those “only in America stories” A boy raised by a single mother of modest means makes it big as a pro athlete. During this series, the first one in which the Heat have been truly tested. I’ve been taken aback by the level of emotion James evokes. Why do people so passionately hate Lebron James?

Is he a premadonna? Yes but certainly not to the level of a Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens or even Brett Farve. He’s never had a run in with the law. Off the court he’s a model citizen, on it he’s perhaps the most unselfish player in recent memory. So why is America so hard on Lebron James?

You know the knocks on King James, he isn’t clutch, and he shrinks from big moments. He doesn’t want to be “thee“guy, he quit on Cleveland, can’t win the big one. James is not the first athlete to take a while to figure out how to win the big one. Michael Jordan found himself trapped between the Celtic and Piston dynasties. The “air” apparent Kobe Bean Bryant shot air balls against the Jazz in his first big series. So again I ask the question why are we so hard of King James?

He’s America’s Son. James is the talented kid who we all see the potential in and are disappointed because he doesn’t or hasn’t made good on it. James came into the NBA with the expectation that he would one day become the greatest player of all time. Lofty expectations only enhanced by a PR campaign that started with televised games in high school, branding himself the King and stating that we were all “witnesses”. To what I’m not sure but I’m assuming it was a reference to his greatness.

In many ways James is a symbol of everything that’s right with America, handsome,young, rich, smart, immensely talented and a marketing juggernaut He also represents what’s wrong with our culture, oversaturation, anointing before accomplishment and the hype machine. Lebron became a product long before he became a professional basketball player.

A basketball prodigy the rules have rarely applied to Lebron, he is a mostly self taught, self motivated basketball genius. The outside forces that did influence Lebron are and were more concerned by what they can get out of him than what they can do for him.

You think Bron’s AAU coach or high school coach really got on him? Treated him like everyone else? Lebron probably hasn’t been treated like everyone else since he picked up a basketball. This man child has never had someone get in his face and tell him he was awful. Tell him that even on his best day that he needed to get better. Simply put Lebron needs/needed a dad.

A father (a good one) will always push his son; no matter how well he does. A dad will ask, why you didn’t you hit that shot? Grab that rebound? Dad’s give their children a critique that causes a level of reflection that no one else on the planet can give. They have no motives, no agendas, other than to get the most out of their sons.(good ones anyway) Lebron missed his second chance gaining a father figure when he skipped college. Who could blame him of course, but in skipping the collegiate level he missed an opportunity to be mentored, taught and have certain character traits ingrained him.

Is there any doubt that Lebron would be a better player if he had a year with Coach K? Instead we have become his parents. His fathers, chiding him, deriding his every movement on and off the basketball court. Deep down most of us want Lebron to succeed, to make good on his talent. Our frustration with King James is that for all his talent he hasn’t realized his full potential. We are frustrated by his lack of self reflection, self entitlement and lack of results. We sound like a dad.