LeBron James made waves this week when he discussed the face of the NBA and how it relates to the state of modern sports media coverage. In a series of posts on X, the King doubled down on his take and explained how constant negativity has dragged the game down.
“Exactly made my point but anyways. Happy this convo has started. It ain’t about ‘face of the game’ and it ain’t about one person or one show, it’s about the culture of basketball, the most beautiful game in the world,” wrote James on X. “Our game has never been better. Incredible young stars from all over the world and some older ones. Steph Curry should be all we are talking about today. Let’s discuss how great OKC and The Cavs have been this season with 2 completely different styles and break down why and how they have. Of course, if players don’t perform we need to discuss that too and break that down.”
LeBron made sure to explain that there’s a right and wrong way to discuss the NBA, especially those players who may be struggling at that particular time.
“Even that can be discussed in a way that’s not to bring finality to that player’s game but to leave room to see how that player responds and let’s watch the journey of that player.”
Naturally, fans might think that LeBron is venting about his own experience, but he revealed that the subject is more about the game as a whole and celebrating NBA athletes instead of constantly tearing them down.
“This ain’t about me either. At this point I don’t really care what’s said about me, it’s always something. This is about the impact the negativity is having on our beautiful game and our fans. I know I speak for a lot of players and more importantly, a helluva lot of great fans that truly love and celebrate this sport around the world.”
This whole debate was sparked after LeBron was asked about the NBA’s next featured athlete, to which he explained that the current media environment is not fit for a new NBA kingpin. For James, the negativity surrounding the modern game and today’s players has gone too far, to the point where it actively takes away from the product.
NBA athletes are under more pressure now than ever to perform and any mistake they make is subject to unrelenting scrutiny from the fans, media, and even former players.
That’s not to mention the constant comparisons to older generations and their rough and rugged playstyle. The modern NBA has evolved beyond recognition and while many people have a problem with what it’s become, the best way forward for everyone is to celebrate the league and the many talented players it has.
At 40 years old, LeBron James is still one of them and his voice still carries weight after over two decades in the game. As he begins to age out of the NBA, a new player will have to take his place, but it won’t be an easy position to accept unless something changes with how the game is covered daily.
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