Lay off LeBron James

June 25, 2012|Pete Byrne | Upon Further Review

LeBron James has spent the better part of the last two years as public enemy number one in the sports world. And why? Because he announced he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers on national television? Because he showed a little too much arrogance in proclaiming that he would lead the Heat to not one or two...but something like seven NBA titles?

Come on. We can find a better villain than that.

LeBron went from the most popular player in the league...to the most vilified, all in one night. And I'll bet if he could do it all over again, he would. That the Heat DIDN'T win an NBA title in his first year was a bit of sweet karma...and I'll be the first to admit I enjoyed it too. But LeBron doesn't deserve to be the bad guy anymore.

Sadly, there are dozens of sports figures out there who are not to be admired in the least.

But LeBron isn't one of them. He's not violent. Not a deadbeat dad. Not a predator. Not disrespectful. All he did was leave one team for a better one...just not in the classiest way. And he's paid an incredibly steep price.

Can you imagine going from being loved to being hated overnight? LeBron has taken his medicine for being arrogant...and it's time to forgive, America. Unless you're from Cleveland. Then you've got the right to feel jilted for a while.

If you don't stop looking past the name LeBron to see this game this guy puts on the floor every night, you're missing out on one of the greatest talents to ever play. LeBron is spectacular. Like Jordan and Magic before him...he does things that nobody else in the world is capable of. His line in the NBA Finals rivals the best ever. He's a great player, and from most accounts I've read, a pretty decent guy, too.

So go ahead. Give him another try. It's OK to like LeBron again.

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