NHL Players Clowning Lebron On Twitter
“Lebron James is embarrassing himself and the NBA or actually all athletes,” tweeted Ryan Potulny, a forward in the Washington Capitals system.
“I wonder what kind of face LeBron would make if he took a slapper off the laces?” wondered former Bruin and current Jet Blake Wheeler.
“We get it Lebron, it doesn’t hurt when you’re running around but it looks unbearable when the cameras are close up during the timeouts,” wrote Nick Bonino, former BU player and current Anaheim Duck.
“What a gutsy performance by lebron #not” wrote Dallas Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski.
“Oh my god guys, Lebron has a cramp, everyone get on their feet, standing O for somehow staying in the game,” wrote Scott Valentine of the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, before sarcastically adding, “If Lebron somehow manages to pull off winning a ring after fighting through a thigh cramp.. it will be a story I tell my children’s children.”
UPDATE: Those tweets were all from the LAST time Lebron wimped out because of cramps in 2012. You know its bad when all this has happened before. It almost makes it even better that way. Search for Lebron cramps in the Finals and you’re getting more than one series where it happened. Time is a flat pussy for King James.
Alright lets have an honest discussion here about Lebron. Because, as usual with Lebron, its one of the more polarizing things to happen in sports. This one is just jacked up times a thousand because it was so dramatic and unusual.
There are 3 camps of people who are insufferable right now. One is the Hockey Hipster crowd. And I’m not talking about the actual NHL players. Those guys kinda deserve to get to make fun of Lebron. I’m talking about the annoying NHL fans who automatically, instantly compare everything to how tough hockey players are. Every time a player is injured, every time a player struggles, its instantaneously “he wouldn’t last one second in the NHL.” Everything automatically reverts to how anyone who doesn’t play with a broken jaw is a pussy. Listen – sports are different. Not every game is the same. Every sport has certain things that are difficult. Not everything that happens always needs to be compared to a couple maniacs in the NHL who play through injury. These guys absolutely hate anything related to the NBA, and therefore hate everything Lebron. If Lebron passes, he’s a pussy. If he shoots, he’s selfish. If he wins one title, its “how come he hasn’t won 2?” If he wins 2, they want three. Every time anything happens the immediately reference how Michael Jordan did something better. “Michael Jordan played with the flu!” As if the flu and muscle cramps are the same thing! “Willis Reed played with torn muscles in his leg!” Yea he hit one jumper and sat down for the night. You’re just haters with an agenda. Not acknowledging Lebron for the immortal that he is – cramps and all – is just ignorant.
The second camp are the staunch Lebron defenders who are now cramp experts. Doctors with expert knowledge in the muscular behavior under intense heat conditions. “Your body literally shuts down with cramps like that.” “He’s literally the best conditioned athlete in the world.” Etc Etc. Alright doc! Everyone in the building was under the same conditions. He was the only one asking to come out of the game every 30 seconds. He was the only one who was on the bench and in the locker room for the last couple minutes. Nobody is saying cramps aren’t bad or that Lebron is a bad fucking athlete. We’re just talking about a game he came up short in decidedly dramatic and un-tough fashion.
The third, and most awful camp, are the people saying shit like “Please keep criticizing the best athlete in the NBA while you eat another donut on your couch.” “I’d love to see you play 48 minutes in a 90 degree arena and see how you hold up.” Oh you don’t say! You think most of us at home probably wouldn’t be able to cut it in the NBA finals? You think the average Joe isn’t in as good of shape as Lebron fucking James? Incredible take. You dickheads.
This is why we watch sports, you dummies. You criticize guys when the choke, you idolize them when they succeed. You Monday Morning Quarterback their play and you critique them with hindsight vision. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fat fuck or you never played that sport at a high level – you clown on guys when they do something embarrassing. Its called being a sports fan. Logically, do I understand that yes, its almost impossible to play with a muscle cramping up that badly? Of course. Do I also know that it was fucking hilarious watching Lebron get carried off the court like that? 500%. Do I know that despite his greatness and him completely vindicating himself the past couple seasons, that Lebron still has lingering issues regarding his toughness and his grit, and that CrampGate played right into that storyline? Yes. And if you can’t admit that and have a little fun with the photoshops and the memes and the jokes then you’re a wet blanket. Lebron is maybe the most gifted to ever step on the hardwood but last night he looked like a pussy. And if you’re an NHL player that wants to poke fun or a fat old man or a skinny nerd or whoever, thats what sports is all about.
PS – Biz Nasty is hilarious on twitter.