My Formal Apology to Lebron James

Dear LeBron,

It’s no secret that I’ve never been a fan of yours.

I know you don’t care, but it’s true.

From day one, I couldn’t stand the hype around you. You were going to change the game. You were the best since MJ (which I found disrespectful to Kobe). You were the self-proclaimed “King.” All of the ESPN pieces turned me off to what you bring to the game before I ever saw you shoot a ball.

I’m a fan of the game of basketball. If a player is good, then I’ll eventually warm up to them. I was warming up to you around 2009. You straight up beasted the Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. Back to back 60 plus win seasons with a squad that played better because of you. I was gaining respect.

Then, The Decision happened.

This was one of the most grandstanding, boisterous moves I’ve ever seen. Ever. I get holding a press conference for announcing your next venture. I even get donations going to the Boys and Girls club. However, an entire TV show dedicated to a five minute announcement is nothing short of ridiculous! To top it all off, you, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh decided to hold a championship pep rally before the season started. I was done with you all over again.

I’ll admit, it wouldn’t take much for me to start hating on you again. In hindsight, you were doing what was best for you and your family. That’s really all anyone can ask for. I see that my distaste for you has been misguided. You’ve been a stand up guy. You have done a lot for your community. I may not agree with all of your decisions, but that truly doesn’t matter. You’ve been a stand up guy. For that, I have one thing to say.

I’m sorry.

There’s a reason for this apology, and his name is Kevin Durant. Ever since KD went to Golden State, I’ve been hearing some of the same nonsensical reasons to hate him that I gave about you. I didn’t think anything was wrong with KD’s decision. Others felt like he committed basketball treason. I had countless discussions on why KD moving was not that big of a deal. After all, you went to Miami and these same people clowning KD are fine with your decision to move. Those discussions made me realize something.

I was wrong about you.

I may not have liked your choice. The hype that surrounded you. The way you approach the game. None of that matters, though. At the end of the day, I’m just a fan of the game. I respect the game, and I should respect you as an ambassador of the game.

Please forgive me.

A hooper for life, 

Jarrod Brown
[GIF Credit Giphy]