LeBron James. Diva?

You know something, I always get suspicious whenever some by the book "we've always done it this way" type of explanation is given to something like this. LeBron being dunked on wouldn't be news if the tapes hadn't been confiscated. But the explanation given by Nike Spokesman Derek Kent left a bad taste in my mouth. Here it is: "Nike has been operating basketball camps for the benefit of young athletes for decades and has long-standing policies as to what events are open and closed to media coverage. Unfortunately, for the first time in four years, two journalists did not respect our no videotaping policy at an after-hours pickup game following the LeBron James Skills Academy."

If it is your policy not to have the skill sessions or pickup games or whatever part of it is closed off to media, how were they able to tape that pickup game? It's been reported that it lasted nearly 2 hours. I'm not convinced this isn't the first time that some journalist(s) "did not respect" your policy on taping. But it probably is the first time LeBron has been two-hand dunked on by some college player. A college player who says that they just kept on playing, and it wasn't really a big deal.

Based on his behavior lately in the post season, I don't put this past LeBron to have the tapes confiscated to make sure that nobody sees it. If he's so devastated to lose that he can't shake the opposing team's hand, then I'm sure being posterized by Jordan Crawford isn't something he can just sweep under the rug. What LeBron doesn't realize is that he's building up a nice little string of diva incidents. It always starts off small, then gets bigger and bigger. Then the small stuff, such as this, becomes news. Everybody knows you are The Man LeBron. Being dunked on isn't the end of the world. I'm sure he wasn't playing his hardest. After all, who wants to when you have a career to protect. But I digress a little. I think that LeBron had those tapes confiscated because it make absolutely no sense to have allowed the cameras in there in the first place if the pick up game was closed off to the media.

Unless those two journalists have the skills of a ninja, they were in plain site of anyone who happened to be on that court or who was watching the game. I know I would have kicked them out long before the game ended if they weren't supposed to be there and I highly doubt they set out to disrespect anyone. If anything, this mission to hide the footage will only make people want to see it more. It certainly makes me want to know how it happened and if it was worth hiding. The best thing LeBron and Nike could have done with those tapes was nothing. Just let them be, and if they made it to the public, so be it. Nobody will say that Crawford if better than LeBron. He won't be the new "Chosen One". Pride and ego play a big role in the ascension of an athlete. I know that most of the best readily admit to having an over-sized ego. Unfortunately, it also contributes to the fall of athletes. Being viewed as a crybaby, diva, spoiled, entitled, etc just makes you look weak in the public eye. LeBron's act will start to get tired quickly. I know his fans and apologists will jump all over themselves to offer excuses. Doesn't matter. It's too coincidental for the Nike spin machine to be working to hide something that happened in a simple pick up game.