LeBron James needs to be forgiven
National Basketball Association does not cease from giving its audience something to talk about, rumours say LeBron James mother, Gloria James happened to have a physical love affair with his former teammate Delonte West. Some say LeBron’s main decision to leave the team was because he found out about his mom’s relationship with Delonte, hence the awful run he made during the playoffs this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The rumour started two months from now on the Internet, when an e-mail made rounds across the globe relating to the scandalous affair. However it gained a lot of attraction after the Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy stated in a radio interview, the claims were absolutely true and horrifying.
"Unfortunately, my sources in the NBA tell me that it's absolutely true. My sources, and they're legit, tell me that the only people that didn't know it was happening was LeBron and me” said Calvin Murphy.
After Calvin’s statement the rumour took a whole new toll and gained credibility. The rumour was discussed by many journalists and sports analysts. Famous news reporter Bill Simmons had a meet with Washington Posts journalist Chuck Klosterman and concluded, looking back at James and comparing his game two-years from this year. The team had little rituals which they use to perform, the teammates were extremely tight with each other and by this year it was all gone. Simon further stated it does make one wonder if something happened.
Speculations were being made that LeBron heard about his mother’s affair in Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers lost to the Celtics in game 5 by 32 points, making a record of the worst loss in the playoffs ever, in their history.
Some say that LeBron’s effort to help his team through the thick times diminished due to the buzz relating to his mom, while his ex-Cleveland fans say he lost interest in the game before hand, and one could tell by his floppy attitude. Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert told the press James did not only quit this season, but last season he quit in game 6 against the Orlando Magic.
LeBron James camp has denied the allegations relating to Gloria James and Delonte West’s affair. James lawyer Frederick R. Nance stated the speculation was “categorically false and per se defamatory”.
It is quite understandable for James mother and him to deny the rumours because it would be embarrassing, and the media would further exploit it. However if the rumours were true should LeBron be forgiven for his decision to join the Miami Heat?
It certainly would have been difficult for anyone to deal with once they found out their mother was having an affair with their friend. No matter how strong-headed one might be, there is a breaking point for everyone.
Looking back in history Michael Jordan is an example; after his father’s brutal death the legend left the NBA, and went on to pursue his father dream into becoming a baseball player. The example is not to compare the severity of Jordan’s loss but to understand personal issues can cause for an athlete to lose focus.
Another example is when Kobe Bryant was arrested for sexual assault and the media exploited the situation. However Bryant was not convicted but the Lakers lost the NBA finals that very season to the Detroit Pistons. Bryant’s scoring and rebounding average went down considerably, even though he played seventeen games he could not give a stellar performance.
As Chuck Klosterman, a writer for New York Times said the rumours were that the whole of Cavaliers organization knew about the affair and failed to inform James. Consequently when James found out he had an ill-feeling towards the organization and his teammates.
If all these rumours are true, Gloria should not be given a free pass and instead of blaming James for his judgment, Delonte and Gloria should be sought after. James did what most would have done, would anyone be comfortable if their team kept them in the dark and found out their good friend was up to no good with his mom?
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