Hating LeBron
By: Matt Burke
Maybe it was simply the fact that the Cavs and Celtics set the game of basketball back 11-12 years on Tuesday night.
Nonetheless, the born-again Garden crowd was not exactly an “indoor insane asylum,” as the great Kevin Harlan would say (are there outdoor insane asylums? If yes, I’m more than intrigued).
There was no booing Boobie Gibson or Delonte West every time they touched the ball. There were no “Cleveland Sucks” chants. There were no HGH chants directed towards the bodybuilder formerly known as Ben Wallace. And there were certainly no “Doc is Bet-ter” chants shouted in the direction of Mike Brown.
So where’s the hate?
I mean, every series needs HATE doesn’t it?
These days, unfortunately it’s taboo to hate the big name guys. LeBron. KG. Chris Paul. (Gulp), even Kobe.
These guys don’t get booed anymore.
My question is, why not?
Why can’t you respect a guy’s talents while, for rooting purposes, absolutely despise him at the same time?
While Michael Jordan was winning his first three NBA titles, I happened to hate him. Was it jealousy? Without question.
But it was fun to hate MJ nonetheless.
That’s what makes sports great. WE the fan get to choose who to love, who to hate and who to root for.
Nowadays, however, it seems as though we’re supposed to love anyone that pours in 20 a night and dishes out 10 assists. For better or…well, no. For worse, it’s the ESPN way.
They kiss the stars asses, and so should we. We the lambs.
But I root for laundry these days and the only laundry I’m washing my hands with these days happens to be forest green.
When LeBron drove to the hoop on Tuesday night and was the beneficiary of a bogus flagrant foul call on Sam Cassell, that sealed the deal.
I hate Sprite. I hate Nike. I hate Jay-Z (blasphemy). I hate Cleveland.
I hate LeBron.