Skip
Bayless is undeniably the biggest Lebron James hater. Do not get me wrong; I appreciate sports
announcers who offer reasonable opinions about players, but I despise those who
make outrageous remarks for the sake of fan retention. I do not know Skip personally, but from what
I see on television, I do not think we would get along. Seriously, I am unsure if Lebron James
physically assaulted him, or slapped his son, or stole his girlfriend, but it
is clear that Skip hates him. He refers to him as “Queen James,” which is
clearly a derogatory phrase. Frequently, he has said that Lebron does not play
with “heart” and that he “choked” during the 2011 NBA finals. I think it is fair to say that he choked in
the 2011 NBA Finals. But, I think it is
unfair to say he does not play with “heart.”
Yesterday, however, he said a few things that are downright ridiculous. He said that Lebron James “owns” Kevin Durant
because they train together during the NBA offseason. He also alluded to the fact that Lebron
finally won an NBA championship because he competed against his "friend," Kevin
Durant. Anyone who watched the Finals
knows that James and Durant both wanted to win the NBA title. In fact, Durant cried when his team was
unsuccessful.
So
what was Skip Bayless talking about?
Apparently, Kevin Durant and Lebron James have trained together during
the past two summers. According to
Bayless, because Durant has traveled to Akron, Ohio to train, Lebron “owns”
him. That idea is as ridiculous as it
sounds. They forged a relationship during
the lockout shortened 2011 offseason. They
also played in a number of charity basketball games and they arranged a
friendly flag football game. Skip
Bayless does not approve of James and Durant working out together. Who cares?
They are widely recognized as the two best players in the world. Why not train together and make each other
better? What is the problem with that?
This conversation begs the question: Would Michael Jordan have trained with one of his
rivals? Would he have trained with Magic
Johnson, or Larry Bird? The answer is
most certainly “no.” Would Kobe have
ever trained with Allen Iverson, Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady? Again, the answer is most certainly “no.” Although the previously mentioned athletes
probably would not have trained together, I am sure they each wanted to train
against the best talent. From a tactical
perspective, what is a better method of spying on your rivals than training
with them? I would love to sit down and
learn from some of the most skilled attorneys in the state. A lot can be said about learning from
the best. The media selling a story that
a player somehow “sold out” his franchise because he worked with a rival
probably plays a bigger role than the players not wanting to work with each
other. It is political. I digress.
An
important fact that is rarely discussed is the impact Amateur Athletic Union (“AAU”)
teams have had on NBA players. When
Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were in high school, AAU
basketball was not prevalent. In fact, I
am not even sure it existed. If it did,
it was certainly not the juggernaut that it is today. Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady benefited from AAU basketball. The
student-athletes on their level are afforded opportunities to travel
domestically and internationally and compete against the best high school players
in the world. That said, big time
players have an opportunity to meet and develop relationships with other big
time players over the course of years.
So, when the players reach the NBA, they already have a group of people
who have traveled a similar path and that they feel comfortable confiding in. The value of being able to trust someone
cannot be underestimated in the often shady world of professional sports. I
think that because James and Durant developed relationships through AAU, or USA National Teams or Olympics Teams, it is easier for them to
trust one another. However, that does
not mean that they do not want to beat their “friend” even more than they want
to best an enemy. Personal bragging rights
among friends is important to most people and that includes super star NBA
players. James and Durant may train
together, but best believe they want nothing more than to beat each other on
the biggest stage. Lebron has the upper
hand now, but I imagine that will only make Durant work that much harder. The result: Miami Heat v. Oklahoma City Thunder (Part two)—June 2013 NBA Finals.
That is a win for NBA fans.
Peace
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