LeBron, Winners and Competitors DO Shake Hands
O on June 3rd, 2009
It has been the talk of the sports world for the last 5 days. Lebron James not shaking hands with the Orlando Magic after the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 2 to win the Eastern Conference finals and advance to the NBA finals. He then added on to the problem by saying a day later that he doesn’t shake hands with opponents that beat him because “I’m a winner and I’m a competitor.” Say what? I’ve been in and around sports for 37 years now and I’ve never heard that one until 5 days ago. Someone should have given Lebron some better advice or some at all.
The images I remember most about the Olympics is the sportsmanship of it all. Yes, you have some who use illegal substances to try and get ahead, but I’m talking about the competitions. In 1980, when the United States beat the Soviet Union in hockey in one of the biggest upsets ever in the Olympics, I remember how the Soviet players looked on in disbelief and then got in line to shake the Americans’ hands, even though as countries, we did not like each other. In 1988, I remember the same thing happening except this time, the sport was basketball and the winners were the Soviets, but there were the Americans to shake their hands.
Lebron James carries himself as well as one can expect a 24 year old to be able to handle himself, but he was dead wrong on this one. What made it worse was him attempting to explain why he did not shake hands instead of apologizing for not doing so. To me, the explanation was the worst offense of all because that was an opportunity to make him an even bigger figure in terms of helping children who do not know any better to know better. Now they do not, with Lebron’s help. Hopefully, someone will get to him and explain that those before him like Magic, Michael, Wilt, Kareem, Dr. J, and Jerry West, all who he has praised recently, were extremely proud competitors themselves and they all went to shake the hands of those who were victorious if it was not themselves. It is all part of being a winner and a competitor in any sport and if Lebron wants to be known as either one, it is something he had better learn quickly or he will be known as the opposite of both.
