LeBron James stirred up an interesting conversation after he supported Anthony Edwards for not wanting to be the “face of the league”. His stance irked media personalities, but at least it enabled fans and the media to acknowledge the issue in the manner the sport is covered and perceived.
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After his statement went viral and multiple NBA shows covered it, criticized it, and some even welcomed it, LeBron took to X once more to explain. He claimed it was never about the “face of the game” but instead “about the culture of basketball”.
He brought up Stephen Curry, who went off for 56 points vs. the Orlando Magic, and acknowledged how great the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been this season. At the same time, he agreed that when players don’t perform well, that needs to be discussed too, but not in the manner it’s done currently.
After the game against the Clippers, where the Los Angeles Lakers recorded their fifth win in a row, LeBron talked to Scott Van Pelt of SportsCenter from the court. The two revisited the conversation, discussing generations of basketball and the positive perception James envisions for the sport he loves.
In his emotional statement, the 40-year-old emphasized the importance of protecting the game. LeBron said that players from different generations get on the floor every night for the love of the game.
He also acknowledged the contributions made by the previous generations and how their generation respected them. Finally, he claimed his generation too aspired to leave the league in a better position for the next set of players.
“Me, Steph [Curry], KD [Kevin Durant], Russ [Westbrook], James [Harden], Kawhi [Leonard], the rest of our crew. And then we got the younger generation that’s doing their thing as well,” LeBron said.
James acknowledged that it’s their responsibility to grow the game and represent it to the best of their abilities for a global audience. He also highlighted that basketball is “the best and most beautiful game in the world” and deserves constructive effort. He felt the need to do so because he believes there’s a lot of negativity surrounding the game today.
Clearly, Bron was baring his heart in that short segment. It wasn’t about his own reputation or perception. He was genuinely concerned for the future of the game he loves.
After all, he has dedicated more than half of his life to the sport. He started as an 18-year-old, right out of school. And now he is a 40-year-old father of three, whose son is in the league too.
But more than that, he is a true admirer of the game and when he says something with such passion, we must, as a mark of respect, listen and ponder, even if we, at the end of it all, might disagree.
