"I've never seen so many people be so happy to see an athlete fail more than LeBron” - Anthony Edwards

[Tony15]

People are allowed to "hate" or be "unappreciative" of whoever they wish.....no matter how absurd/irrational the reasoning (most of which stemming from jealousy when you cut through the BS).

LBJ is a human being who actively puts himself out there beyond his play on the court. He's far from the perfect angel, but nobody is including his haters' favorite player.

Sent from my SM-G960U using RealGM mobile app

[Airmiess]

This kid is the real deal.
He has the awareness, the gift of gab and the game.

[LuDux1]

Gee. Not sure why. I’m sure it has nothing to do with him being a whiny, unlikeable, China-worshiping, race-baiting, false hate-crime creating diva with one of the more punchable faces in professional sports. So yeah, not sure.

"Chinese republicans buy sneakers too" LeBron James

[rapstarter]

Funny to see LeBron fans trying to brush aside The Decision and act like him being hated is some evidence that he's the GOAT. The hate for him was at its peak then when he didn't even have a single ring. People (including LeBron fans) hated and still hate KD for his own Decision, so what's so hard to get? Newsflash, people will remember and judge you for the biggest decision of your life.

[JackZZ]

Gee. Not sure why. I’m sure it has nothing to do with him being a whiny, unlikeable, China-worshiping, race-baiting, false hate-crime creating diva with one of the more punchable faces in professional sports. So yeah, not sure.

"Chinese republicans buy sneakers too" LeBron James

I know this is a shot at MJ. So to put context on it, it was a jest he made in private setting. He didn't correct it when asked about it cuz he did say it.
Publicly, MJ was apolitical throughout his career.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may/04/michael-jordan-espn-last-dance-republicans-sneakers-quote-nba

[nikster]

Facts, and if you disagree i'll show you exhibit B, KD going to GS, something i'd be curious to know how the new era of kids viewed that.

LeBron would have just been hated like Kobe or Tom Brady if these type of moments weren't a thing. What people also don't seem to mention, is this moment posted was also the start of one of the biggest propaganda movements in sports history, and it's lasted over a decade now. For a lot of us, we are just tired of it, and want to go back to just getting slightly gaslit like trading Gasol for a bag of chips was actually a solid trade without hindsight and that the DET Pistons were just a solid team and not a team with 4 All-Stars and legendary coach.

I honestly don't think the hate towards LeBron is wanting to see him fail like people wanting to see Tom fail, it's more people just wanting to see the narratives and fake storylines get beaten back.

You still have fans that think LeBron went to CLE and LA to go play with a bunch of young kids, and to be with his family, because that's how it was marketed, when everyone with deductive reasoning skills knows that's not the case.

Can you imagine if any other star player like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Judge, or Mike Trout did this type of thing, and got this same level of protection from the media? It would be hell on wheels for them.

KD, Kyrie, and Harden are the only modern players in the NBA to even attempt this and how has that gone for them? They are 3 of the most hated players in the league both by fans and the media

I don't think people actually dislike LeBron, he's a man that married his highschool sweetheart, is a savy business man (obviously), in the top 1% of hi trade, and is an incredible father. Something all of us should strive to be. LeBron just made himself unlikeable for a lot of fans like me who were in highschool/college when he puled this stuff and those are very impressionable years for that fan base who haven't changed their minds, just like in 10 years non of yall will change your minds about KD, or Boston fans Kyrie.

I don't think those comparisons are really good at all. Kyrie is hated on mostly for off court non basketball related comments and for being a cause of locker room issues. Harden is hated on for his own playoff failures and style of play.

KD is the only one to really be hated on mostly for team hopping, the circumstances I think were pretty different, he never had success elsewhere, and the level of vitriol never came close to what we've seen with Lebron.

That's not really true, and part of the propaganda tour that I personally don't like when it comes to LeBron. KD and LeBron had identical careers through their first 2 championships and age 30/3rd contracts. Both led small market teams to the finals early on in their 1st contracts, both teamed up with with another Top 5 player and all-stars, and both won 2 titles on their 2nd, and both teamed up with Kyrie and another All-NBA guy for their 3rd. Injuries wrecked year 1 of that run, just like LeBrons first year in CLE.

Hating on KD because a global pandemic denied him the chance for his redemption arc after isn't exactly fair, and is the difference between being LeBron and everyone else. KD ruined his image for going to GS, LeBron created a legacy by going to MIA. LeBron's efforts in 15 were considered historic, KD's efforts in 21 are mocked. LeBron going to LA when him and Kyrie beefed was applauded. KD going to the Suns when him and Kyrie beefed was ridiculed.

They have had identical careers, KD's was just influenced by injuries and outside forces more. One is considered a GOAT, the other universally called a Cupcake by fans and media alike. One hearalded as a king for trying to restore a dead franchise with no success, the other a laughing stock for choosing to go to bad teams with no historical success.

The circumstances were not different, the results were not different, the narrative and agenda the media sold us was.

If you want to consider their moves similar intent I get it, but they were very different in reality. KDs team won 70+ games, was just in back to back finals, made it to the finals when KD got injured, and won a title after he left, and was healthy the whole time he was there.

Lebron joined a 47 win team, they added Bosh but gutted the rest of the roster and were devoid of good role players there first year. Year 2 Bosh went down and missed most of the run through the eastern conference and by year 3 Wade was not at all the same.

Even with those differences it took Lebron winning the title in 2016 to truly change the perception.

As for post Miami/GSW part of their careers Lebron just had way more success. 2015 Love went down early in the playoffs and they made the finals with a core that wasn't any better than the 33 win team Cleveland has the year before. Irving left 2018 and they still made the finals.

How can you say the results were not different? After Lebron left Miami he made 5 finals, won 2 titles, made a conference final and was on 9 all NBA teams. KD hasn't made it out the 2nd round and has a single all NBA team after leaving GSW. That's an entire HOF career worth of differences

[JackZZ]

Hater is such a generic word to brush off ppl that you disagree with and not on your bandwagon. lol.

[rapstarter]

If you want to consider their moves similar intent I get it, but they were very different in reality. KDs team won 70+ games, was just in back to back finals, made it to the finals when KD got injured, and won a title after he left, and was healthy the whole time he was there.

Lebron joined a 47 win team, they added Bosh but gutted the rest of the roster and were devoid of good role players there first year. Year 2 Bosh went down and missed most of the run through the eastern conference and by year 3 Wade was not at all the same.

Always found this double standard funny. The Warriors lost two starters but it was still the 73 wins team that KD joined, meanwhile LeBron joined a 47 wins team (forget Bosh wasn't on that team) in a weak conference that basically had 1 team after The Decision. Yeah, what KD did is probably worse but both were pretty damn bad.

[LuDux1]

Gee. Not sure why. I’m sure it has nothing to do with him being a whiny, unlikeable, China-worshiping, race-baiting, false hate-crime creating diva with one of the more punchable faces in professional sports. So yeah, not sure.

"Chinese republicans buy sneakers too" LeBron James

I know this is a shot at MJ. So to put context on it, it was a jest he made in private setting. He didn't correct it when asked about it cuz he did say it.
Publicly, MJ was apolitical throughout his career.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/may/04/michael-jordan-espn-last-dance-republicans-sneakers-quote-nba

Not exactly. I thought it was Charles Barkley quote first

This is shot at MJ: 30 years and all he could came up with is "I was only joking"?

[Profound23]

I would say Muhammad Ali or Jackie Robinson but Ant is probably too young to know anything about that.

[danvato]

As a resident Bron hater, just want to reiterate that it’s not really a generational thing. Jokic is amazing, Giannis had a great ring. It’s specifically and solely LeBron that’s especially lame, not everything post 2003

What about all the over the top hatred for Durant? Westbrook? Kyrie? Harden?

Seems to me thata specifically black American players that get targeted with extreme vitriol.

and the other 400+ players in the league are.....european?

[chilluminati]

Those old people OP is talking about are you guys

[danvato]

was Ant alive for this or is Lebron that old?

Watch on YouTube

This is why Lebron is hated, full stop. And he deserves it. He also deserves credit but how anyone can be confused for why he is disliked is just dumb.

Have you ever listened to Ant talk? Making wildly confident claims/goals is not something that is going to phase Ant. It's why he's such a fun interview.

But even with that said, the idea that an overzealous statement made at an introductory pep rally is the primary reason for dislike well over a decade later is a pretty good illustration of what Ant is saying.

how about this then?

Watch on YouTube

[LuDux1]

Everytime I read "narcissist this" or "narcissist that", I remember people saying something like "rap is crap, all they do is brag how they are better"

"If Nietzschean atheology says: we must become god, bourgeois secularism says: No-one may be greater than me - not even God" K-Punk

[UcanUwill]

Entire continent of Australia heard F1 fans cheering after Verstappen's engine broke down. Hard to find a guy who has as much haters as Max has right now.

Wasn’t there was a huge amount of hate for Novak Djokovic in Australia not too long ago.

Dont know, but probably. Most dominant/revelant athletes always have most fans, but it will also mean most haters. Same probably with everyone, like politicians. Barack is most beloved American president now, but he is also provably the most hated, when person reach such relevance and popularity, he needs to grow thicker skin to deal with hatred.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

Jamal Murray is 27 years old right now.

That means he was a 13 year old kid in middle school, when Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh formed the Heatles in Miami. My gosh, has it really been 14 years. I remember it vividly, like it was yesterday.

Of course he grew up wearing their jerseys. So I can turn that right back on you, and say they are simply nostalgic.

But us 30+ year olds... it's not a generational thing. I respect and praise Jovic, Giannis, Steph....

[Wallace_Wallace]

If you want to consider their moves similar intent I get it, but they were very different in reality. KDs team won 70+ games, was just in back to back finals, made it to the finals when KD got injured, and won a title after he left, and was healthy the whole time he was there.

Lebron joined a 47 win team, they added Bosh but gutted the rest of the roster and were devoid of good role players there first year. Year 2 Bosh went down and missed most of the run through the eastern conference and by year 3 Wade was not at all the same.

Always found this double standard funny. The Warriors lost two starters but it was still the 73 wins team that KD joined, meanwhile LeBron joined a 47 wins team (forget Bosh wasn't on that team) in a weak conference that basically had 1 team after The Decision. Yeah, what KD did is probably worse but both were pretty damn bad.

KD one upped LeBron due the unprecedented cap spike combined with Curry’s team friendly contract due to his early ankle injuries. However, trying to rewrite history for LeBron is hilarious. No one thought this Miami team wasn’t going to win in day one. The projection was a 60+ win season and the favorites for the championship.

In comparison when the Lakers won 37 games and then traded for Anthony Davis (plus rumor of possibly getting Leonard in 2019). The expectation would be a dynasty if everything went the Lakers’ way, and you can’t rewrite history by saying Davis (possibly Leonard) joined a 37 win team and winning was an uncertainty.

[TheGeneral99]

Lol.

Three things:

1) Lebron is insanely popular and has a ton of die hard fans.

2) The media is generally very defensive of Lebron.

3) Reasons fans dislike Lebron is because he has created his own teams multiple teams, jumping from team to team (which right or wrong kind of diminishes his legacy a little in my opinion).

95% of fans acknowledge Lebron is in the GOAT conversation and likely #2 all-time.

I fall into the category that Lebron rubs me the wrong way a bit with his team jumping, passive aggressiveness and self-congratulatory behavior, but at the same time I can acknowledge he's in the GOAT conversation ,is an unbelievable player, arguably the most freakish athlete in NBA history, has an insane work-ethic, a crazy high basketball IQ, has been able to sustain a level of greatness longer than anyone else, is a good teammate and leader, and has been able to stay out of trouble his entire career despite having insane expectations since he was 14.

To conclude: I don't think Edwards should feel bad for Lebron.

[PistolPeteJR]

I would say the overwhelming majority of people understand and appreciate his greatness. Just because many are also put off by his behavior and personality doesn’t necessarily make them haters.

He’s an incredible player while also being incredibly narcissistic and hypocritical.

Yup. I acknowledge that he’s an incredible player and he’s had a fantastic, all time great career.

But I just don’t like his “vibe”. When he speaks I don’t dislike him, but it just seems like something is a little off. I don’t feel it’s very authentic, deep, or soulful.

He’s also had plenty of moments in his career where he didn’t perform in crucial moments (2011 finals).

Then when you have people wanting to say he is for sure the #1 goat, that’s when I have to disagree.

If people didn’t try to elevate him to #1 all time, there wouldn’t be so much backlash.

Just to clarify, you say "plenty of moments". 2011 is one, I agree. What are the others?

[Ray Donovan]

I agree , we'll earned too