When it comes to basketball fans, you will find the majority of them grouped into two main lines of thought when it comes to the greatest NBA player of all time.
There are those who will stand by Michael Jordan until the end of time.
Then there are those who support LeBron James as the greatest of all time.
Well, people in that latter group will want to take a close look at some of James’ whiny comments, and perhaps re-evaluate their life choices.
James, whose on-court frustrations this season have been noticeable, got injured late in yet another Lakers loss on Wednesday. James injured his groin in the fourth quarter of a 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
When addressing the injury and latest loss with reporters after the game, ESPN noted that James became “irked” at questions about his lack of free throw attempts on the season thus far.
“I also would like for the whistle to be blown when I get hit,” James whined. In Wednesday’s loss, James only attempted four total free throws, making just two.
“I looked at a lot of guys tonight shoot a lot of jump shots and they’re going nine, 13 times to the free throw line.”
As petulant and childlike as it sounds to claim that you “would like for the whistle to be blown when I get hit,” credit where it’s due, working the officials is a long con and something most stars partake in. There’s little issue there.
Is Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player of all time?
Yes: 91% (20 Votes)
No: 9% (2 Votes)
The issues come up when James flagrantly ponders aloud whether or not he can scoot by, bending the rules in the least manly way possible.
“I got to learn how to flop or something. Seriously. I need to learn how to do that,” James told reporters. “Swipe my head back or do something to get to the free throw line because the ‘I missed it’ [explanation he gets from referees] is getting too repetitive. It’s three games straight of ‘I missed it.’”
And again, playing the refs, be it with an exaggerated fall or an over-dramatic head snap back, is part of the game at this point. If James wants to partake in those shenanigans, so be it. It would be hard to fault him for that in 2022.
But to talk about it out loud with the same level of passive aggressiveness typically reserved for a 7th-grade girl?
That should immediately disqualify him from any discussions when it comes to the best player in NBA history.
The struggling Los Angeles Lakers have lost their last four games all by double digits, continuing a season-long malaise.
The Lakers’ four-game losing streak is still only the second-worst losing streak of the season for the Lakers. James and his Lakers started the year on a five-game losing streak, before winning a pair of games against the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers next play Friday, when it faces divisional rival Sacramento Kings.
