Trying to be fair to LeBron

It’s that time of year, the NBA Finals, when LeBron James can do no right, or so it seems. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers recover from their existing and seemingly insurmountable 0-3 deficit and upend the Golden State Warriors, there will be muted applause everywhere outside of Ohio. There always seems to be reservation when it comes to praising LeBron James. Even now, when he has given Cleveland its first-ever NBA title. Even now that he has surpassed Michael Jordan’s playoff scoring total. Even now that he has played in seven consecutive championships, a crazy achievement on the face of it. Even now that he has engineered teams that have consistently won. We can’t seem to cut him any slack. Is it envy? Discontent? Unfair standards?

Definitely, James plays under better conditions than those who came before, than even Jordan did. Travel and nutrition are better, venues are better-constructed. Teams even rest their best players during certain stretches of the season, something unheard until Gregg Popovich and the Spurs made it a thing. (One step backward, two steps forward?) Before the last few years, you played hurt, you played sick, you played with a freshly sprained ankle. Fever, flu, headaches (except for Scottie Pippen) did not deter you. You played, period. Now, you can kick back a couple times a year, and take it easy. But then again, that’s not LeBron’s fault, is it?

The main dilemma for LeBron James is not that he has to compile more trophies and stats. It is a question of public perception. To many, each time James earns their respect, he says or does something unpopular. There was that whole “Decision” hullabaloo. Then there was the grousing about having better teammates, asking to trade for this player or that one. Then, just when he was getting likable, he mouthed off about Steph Curry’s unanimous MVP award. He has garnished the image of being a spoiled brat. What is unfair is that people use it to diminish his accomplishments regardless of the conditions he has played under.

The problem is that LeBron proudly, even defiantly, embraces the role of leader. This means he tacitly acknowledges his responsibility for the team’s fortunes. He influences player selection and even coaching at the Cavs. Look at Cleveland’s line-up. It has been designed predominantly to his wishes. In Ty Lue’s first season as head coach, he did nothing to dispel the impression that LeBron was calling the shots. So it isn’t far-fetched to lay blame for their shortcomings at his doorstep. Everything the Cavs have done bear his imprimatur. And despite their wild success, there is still the stigma of great failure, as well. Without being cruel, James asked for it.

The yardstick for ultimate greatness in the NBA is the consistent excellence or longevity of Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. But LeBron’s quandary is more akin to Wilt Chamberlain. Both were feared for being unique physical specimens. Chamberlain once tried to punch an opponent for being too rough in defending him, and ended up breaking a teammate’s shoulder who simply tried to restrain him. But in Chamberlain’s day, the referees had a separate standard for him, allowing him to take an unnecessary pounding, hence his book “Nobody Loves Goliath”. But in LeBron’s case, outstanding players today are protected, both by the league and by media, who need regular access to make a living.

Jordan exploded in the media when he hit his peak as the globe discovered the Worldwide Web. This catapulted the Chicago Bulls guard to a level of awareness beyond even Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who were just a few years ahead of him. But James lives in the searing spotlight of social media, in the unforgiving era of the troll. So even with all his magnificence, the general public has the added burden of having to sift through all the fake news, alternative facts and bile. And most people just don’t bother. Such is the sad state of affairs for the Cavs All-Star.

True, it appears that he has a gigantic chip on his shoulder at times, but it is also true that he is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime kind of player. Maybe LeBron is the poster child for the new millennium: talented, brash, overachieving, tempestuous, and more than a little entitled. But if we turn the spotlight around onto those who are quick to judge, why are we giving him such a hard time? What has he done to deserve such reservation, if not outright bias against him? He has achieved more than perhaps a dozen or so players on the history of the game, granted much of it against a weak Eastern Conference. But has he really been so bad a person that he isn’t worthy of respect?

Changing our perspective, James is a competitor, no less than Jordan was unfailingly mean to his teammates in practice to the point that Bill Cartwright allegedly threatened to hurt him physically; no less than Kobe Bryant telling everybody that he could beat everybody, even in his rookie year. LeBron just lives under a bigger magnifying glass, and that’s not his fault. In a way, it’s ours. Maybe we haven’t adjusted to having social media. Maybe we’re projecting our frustrations on someone who seems to have it all but keeps wanting more. Perhaps, in a way, we are armchair LeBron Jameses, expecting people in his position to also be paragons of virtue.

Maybe that’s our share of where the fault lies.