- Rich Paul’s recent comments about the media coverage of LeBron James didn’t sit well with fans
- James has been a perennial headline generator
- All eyes will be on James again as he enters his 21st season in the NBA
Such has been the popularity of LeBron James that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is the center of focus with everything he does, and his longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul elaborated as much, saying James is the first player to deal with 24/7, 365 Days media attention
But the Klutch Sports Group head honcho’s words weren’t something all NBA fans agreed upon, and they had their own thoughts on his comments.
To set the context, Paul, appearing on the latest episode of Gilbert Arenas’ podcast opined that the four-time NBA champion gets more media coverage compared to other media greats.
“Mike (Michael Jordan) transcended the game. When Kobe [Bryant] came, Kobe was a silhouette of Mike. That’s everything, which is great. But LeBron is the first player to have to deal with a 24-7-365 news cycle of sports and opinions from those that’s not even capable or carry the expertise to give a valid opinion.”
Some fans brought up Kobe Bryant.
Kobe came before him. https://t.co/uRrjJKjnrc
— JGD (@justgotdone6) September 5, 2023
Paul had some criticism coming his way.
https://twitter.com/beejaydoubleu/status/1698896112587882982
The comparison to Michael Jordan wasn’t far off.
Lebron also inserts himself in every political opinion too…. Jordan kept quiet and to himself. https://t.co/7u9q8B1kII
— Jacob Noble (@jacobnnoble7) September 5, 2023
The disapproval poured in.
Lol why you lying? You know how many nba legends played under the microscope on and off the court? https://t.co/paa7M6u6Gv
— Yeager Manifesto (@SupaSaiyan24) September 4, 2023
A segment of fans tagged James as well.
Lebron James is the first major athlete to stick his nose in all things politics. https://t.co/S5Wwt7Iljn
— Tuv(s/z/n) (@Tuvs248) September 5, 2023
This fan was pretty blunt.
https://twitter.com/by_chunter/status/1698896775174664215
Paul’s comments leave him in the grey area. While Jordan was definitely one of the most famous sports figures during his time, it’s worth noting that social media was pretty much non-existent.
The same though can’t be said for James whose 21 seasons in the NBA were also the time the technology and media evolved rapidly. But there’s no doubt that Jordan would have received had media evolution would have been as modern as it was in the late 80s and the early 90s.
LeBron James’ Status As An Athlete And Beyond Automatically Makes Him A Headline Generator
Dubbed as a generational superstar, LeBron James was a media favorite pretty much since the start of his career. The spotlight only intensified with every success and failure he saw over the next two decades in the NBA.
While at it, James has also been vocal about all matters, not basketball, and his popularity only makes it natural for him to be in focus all the time. To use a recent instance, James was the name doing the rounds after his son Bronny James suffered a shocking cardiac arrest.
Despite the news mainly focusing on Bronny, there was ample coverage of James’ movements and their presence was also under the microscope by the media to generate content on the superstar.
The Focus Will Be On LeBron James Again In The NBA 2023-24 Season
Come the NBA 2023-24 season, all eyes will be on LeBron James again as he gears up to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. With the decorated franchise considered to be a bonafide title contender every season, the onus will be on James who is back with No. 23 and Anthony Davis.
James was a vital cog in the team’s Western Conference Finals run this past season. In addition to surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s leading scorer, the 38-year-old was also a force on the floor averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.
Given his relentless work ethic and his long-running prime, James will be in focus again when he suits up in the Purple and Gold with his objective of winning a fifth NBA championship. And safe to say, that he will be the cynosure of all cameras irrespective of how his and the Lakers’ campaign pans out.
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