‘King James Goes Down!’: How the Internet Turned on LeBron

The internet is not an individual, but rather a large faceless mob that collectively moves in the direction of aggregate data. Praise for LeBron is unlikely to gain internet traction because the general consensus is that he's a great basketball player - nothing new to see here. Embarrassing LeBron, on the other hand, represents a novel view point. As the millennials would say, it's a "hot take". Eventually, after everyone piles on the "LeBron stinks" train, the counterpoint - that he played the game of basketball like no other - will reemerge.

IMHO, James invited this when he made his ridiculous "Decision" spectacle on ESPN in 2010. Which team he would play for was hardly earthshaking. Arrogance and grandiosity annoy other people, who are then happy to see the egoistic one taken down a peg.

Give me Jordan. Give me Willis Reed, Clyde, Bradley, Monroe. Lebron who?? nothing there for me.

The Internet is the playground of anonymous jerks in need of the dopamine shots they get from heckling people with accomplishments.

If James was as good as Jordan (and he isn't, wasn't, and never will be) he would have managed to get this Lakers team into the playoffs. He didn't. Jordan would have found a way. Great players put their teams on their back and carry them forward. James put his ego on his back and fell down. Boo-hoo for you, LeBron. All that said, he does seem to be a man of high integrity off the court and he is to be commended for that. Any man that tweets "u bum" at this nation's joke of a president is way ok by me.

This is a classic - an article that perfectly exemplifies the sneering, jeering attitude it ostensibly is trying to illuminate. The writer's one-note blather about "dethroning King James" should be beneath the Times's dignity. It's not reporting, it's gossiping. And to point to that block in a meaningless game against the wretched Knick (in that "mecca" of basketball -huh?) as sounding James's death knell is both provincial and silly. By the way, LeBron's achievements, on and off the court, speak for themselves.

Gore Vidal once said, "When I see a friend succeed, something in me dies." Another Vidal-ism, "It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail," perhaps sums up much of King James's career. The moniker itself, "King James," which Lebron has worn like the "S" badge on Superman's cape, is a bit like tempting the gods (or thumbing your nose at the Sports G). Something bad is bound to happen. Daedalus gave his son Icarus wings of wax to fly, and warned the young buck not to "fly too close to the sun." Like Icarus, King James ignored the murmurs of the gods and now the Internet revels in "King James Goes Down!" Tragedy, redux. And the spirit of Vidal smiles from the heavens.

Could it have helped to self-declare I am the GOAT? Or walk away from Game 4? What you hear now are the haters who always hated. What LeBron needs is a better publicist. In any case, at some point all this will be forgotten and the fickle idiocracy will adore him in retirement when they recall nothing but the moments of soaring perfection and the haters will learn grudging respect.

Walt is not “daffy” he is funny, charming, full of informative comments and the one announcer who makes watching the uneven, heart breaking Knicks with my husband bearable, dare I say, fun and interesting.

"but New York remains the mecca of basketball," No it doesn't. This kind of claim is just plain silly.

If 'King James' can't take the heat, he should get out of LA.

World Champion Bosox: ten straight two-out hits today, 15-2 over the Chisox, climbing back toward the Yankees. . Who's LeBron James?

NYC the Mecca of basketball? Only an old New Yorker could make such a ridiculous claim. And even the best Knicks team were only competitive, not overwhelming.

LeBron James and Michael Jordon and . . . are doing and have done what too many of the writer here and on the Internet have never bothered to do. These readers remind me not of true anti war protestors but of those not few enough police officers who tried to shove marijuana baggies into our pockets my first day back home on leave from Nam. People who lack the guts to all out try and succeed and try yet fail seem to somehow try to redeem themselves in their own eyes by belittling the warriors and artists and others who fail and then succeed and then fail and again succeed until they grow old and die. Come on. We don’t ask you to be all time greats. Nor too fail short of the summit. But let us respect the best in our exemplars while understand they, like us, have foibles and flaws and failures. But, as the heroic laborer or iron worker or dying Trojan warrior, they have striven. And I think they are heroic. Thank you LeBron and Michael and Odysseus and Mallarme, Cicely Tyson and Ms Sallie Sanders Of North Atlanta HS, and their mother’s and fathers. For you have striven and succeeded, failed, and gotten back up. And you are ours to share with our students and soldiers, nurses and firefighters. And folks, you belittle, at least have the guts and self respect to use your own name on your post rather than hiding in the nasty shadows. Homer, we need your rebirth.

Walt Frazier is "daffy"? Them's fightin' words, sir.

Unparalleled greatness in our lifetime. Heroic what he can do with ragtag teams. He elevates the play of his teammates — he transformed Kyrie Irving from mediocrity to excellence. Most of his career, including now, he has had no Scotty Pippin, no superstar to assist him. I cannot understand the lack of appreciation, the snide-ness of Americans toward him. Your lives would have been diminished had he chosen Accounting as a career. Let’s hope one of the NBA A-listers will re-examine their egos (and their jealousy) and join LeBron for an exciting run with the legendary Lakers. Btw Los Angeles, Koby Bryant isn’t even in this conversation.

To judge by most of the comments in the thread, Sam Dolnick's point is proved over & over. Sports fans live for the day their heroes fail, so then their heroes can be brought down to the fan's own dismal level. Imagine: if somebody's got enough leisure to post his hatred of a ballplayer in a public forum, what does he do with the rest of his spare time? Beat toddlers? Drown kittens?

When LeBron is done with basketball, on to Hollywood. Combine Chuck Norris and Arnold and you have your next action hero, Avengers calling?

My mother once told me, "Be kind to beautiful women." It's a challenge to be kind to those who seem to be in some way superior, and maybe a bit of a threat, but following that advice has let some truly wonderful people into my life and certainly made it more interesting. We can choose to enjoy the greatness still visible in LeBron's game or we can take pleasure in imagining some pain we're causing with our pinpricks of criticism. What'll it be?

LeBron and his ilk think they must do everything. They must have control of the ball, of their teammates, of what they choose to listen to from their coaches, in every moment of every game. They dominate (like Trump) by intimidation of the opponents AND of their own team. LeBron is past it. Bringing on a coach that can't stand up to him (raise your hand Mr. Lue) will not improve the Lakers. No star player wants to play with him because he's a bully and ball hog. Besides, he will turn on his teammates in a minute because he's so much better than everybody else (in his own mind). Say goodbye Mr. King. Your days of domination are not coming back.

How boring. Who are these people? Is this how you waste your time? Get a life, immediately. The life you save may be your own. Go out and exercise rather than watching and reading about people exercising. This may have been an interesting moment in some sports circles, but no one really noticed outside basketballers. Basketball's a bit of a footnote in culture and reading habits. I just happened across a link on this free-reading NYT weekend.

The talent is undeniable. So is the desire. His philanthropy too, although I bet he's not signing a pledge to give away the majority of his wealth. What's also undeniable is his ego. Perhaps that's inevitable when one makes the cover of Sports Illustrated before they've played a minute in the pros, or in college. But there's a sense of entitlement ever since he's arrived. A feeling that he "deserves" championships because he's LeBron. The incessant throwing under the bus of fellow players and coaches when things don't go as planned. How many coaches has he fired? Look at this last year in Tinseltown. Initially he arrived in Cleveland and waited for the Cavs to build a team around him. Didn't work out, fair enough. Ever since, he seems to demand a complete team surround him, ready to win now. He gets all the praise when they win, when they don't it's someone else's fault. Ain't gonna work, what fellow All-Stars are going to want to join him, knowing if they win much of the credit will go to King James? Donating a substantial chunk of his wealth to worthy causes doesn't negate that there's something off about him that turns many people off.

As written about, LeBron James will always be chasing Michael Jordan's or Kobe Bryant's as well and am not talking about numbers. Legacy. Theirs were awarded by the fans who love them to this day. They never wagged the dog like Le Bron has habitually done. Their ego is huge but they kept it to themselves unlike him who made sure the hype reach beyond the clouds. Kn any given huddle on and off the court, LeBron James would make sure that he was s the "King" which irked many players but were humble enough to not ruin his day. After all, ego is a lot like an ice cream. Good when it is still firm but melts sooner. Le Bron James has melted again in the Lakers. Read that Hollywood.

LeBron is a class act, on and off the court.

Perfectly enjoyable article, except baffling in one place: Why does anyone ever refer to New York as a "mecca of basketball?" It has never made sense to me. The Knicks are a perpetually garbage team that plays in a boring arena in front of half-asleep fans. They haven't won a championship since the 1970s. No decent stars want to come play here. I'm 43 years old and I've been a basketball fan my whole life. Am I simply not old enough to remember some bygone golden era when New York earned this distinction?

He's still LeBron and we're not. So who really gets the last laugh?

Fans got angry with LeBron when he made that ridiculous spectacle of himself announcing his move to Miami. So there was always that anger at him from that. Jordan just made a fool of himself trying to hit a curve ball. But there is no denying that they were the best basketball players of their eras.

Some depth here would have been interesting: without the internet (It doesn't deserve an initial cap.), did Babe get treated negatively when he was traded by the Yankees to the Braves? My memory is that the Yankees were the bad guys. Seaver held up when the Mets traded him; everyone said the Mets traded the franchise.

Many still feel that the NBA referees fixed the series against San Antonio and Golden State. Without those fixes he may not have had any championship. If LeBron wants to be in top ten for history he has to win in LA . That is the only way to achieve greatness. Prove it.

This is one of the dumbest things ever. If you want a meme that captures the essence of Lebron James, it's this soaring block of Andre Iguadola https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgade7_mjHc Given the stakes (game 7, under two mins, game tied) and the pure timing and athleticism involved, arguably one of the greatest plays in sport history. That should be his lasting legacy (something no one else has ever done). What's next, popular meme's of Curry clanging a 3 pointer (he does miss 6 out of 10, after all) or Brady throwing an interception? Dumb.

After losing the NBA championship to the dallas Maverickins in 2011. James said the following : " “At the end of the day,” James said, “all the people who want to see me fail, they gotta wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had when they woke up today. Same personal problems they had today. I am going to continue to live and do the things I want to do and be happy with that.” see https://bleacherreport.com/articles/733176-dallas-mavericks-lebron-james-belittles-nba-fans-after-miami-loses-championship The above remarks can be interpreted as James asserting that some of his critics, who had financial difficulties, would continue to have those difficulties, while he a wealthy person would continue to be wealthy. The remarks were made during bad economics times for most Americans. So, lets not blame the internet for all of the criticism of James

James's basketball career is far from over. If time and strain has diminished him at 34 so be it. Perhaps Michael or Kobe can be claimed as more successful given their having won more championships, but as a player AND human being I rate Lebron much higher than either. He's done more charitable works and used his position to speak out against racism, trump, etc.. The charter school he founded and supports is doing well. He carried and willed Cleveland to their first ever championship. I'm sick of people piling on when their one time hero falters and proves to be human after all. Grow up.

LeBron is so heroic and such a great ball player that the Lakers can't find anyone who wants to be on the same team with him. That is his legacy. Basketball is a team sport. And no one want wants to play with LeBron. Slam dunk that.

Best all around player since Oscar Robinson - at 34 and after all of the seasons lasting in to June, he is on the downhill run but why all of the acrimony? Don't think much of the US these days.

African Americans don't last as American heroes. When their accomplishments are undeniable, we watch in 'awe'. But when the end comes, it comes hard. I do not remember any cumulative joy when Larry Bird's skills diminished. LeBron remains a God here in Ohio, and rightfully so. His public primary school in Akron is, by any yardstick, a success to be emulated. For a kid with no post high school education to teach the Bill Gates (and the rest of you Ivy League charter school operators) of the world how to run a primary school is an achievement beyond sport.

Intelligent, secure, confident, mature people don’t mock others.

Love LeBron. His social network slayers should find other ways to amuse themselves, and I wonder how many of them are stone cold bigots.

The game of basketball itself has morphed into a vehicle to lift the talented above the other players...just look at the officiating, the rule changes and the overall aggrandizement of superstars. It is no longer a game of real rules and traditions. The NBA, like every professional league, is now all about the money. We, as a nation, are unparalleled in creating distractions and diversions for the cold, hard facts of humanity's weaknesses. Professional sports want all the attention, all the money and all the lavish praise but balks at even the simplest of social issues that dares to intrude on the parade (see "kneeling" etc) and will never actually discuss what truly threatens our country until the sports themselves are at risk. Then, like now with our "tragic" superhero LBJ, we will recoil in feigned amazement at both the heights we lifted some to and the depths seen as possibly unfair but predictable. Come on kids, it's only a "game"!

A very well-written and entertaining piece. James story is summarized by forgetting his roots while looking for glory in Miami. He returned home and it just felt right for him and his burnished fans of Cleveland. After that lesson he goes for the glamour again this time based upon what his wife and daughter want. Does Dorothy leave home a second time for the bright lights? I feel sad for him more than glad. Even with with money and fame you feel like a fool.

while LeBron USED to be a great player and I absolutely loved his social responsibility and twitter spats with orange liar, he got way, way, way too full of himself. thats what people dont like these days. while yes a great player to me he was NEVER an MJ, a Dr J, a Kareem or even a Steph Curry even if HE believed it. yes he could, John Elway like, take a otherwise crummy team to the playoffs (and as a passing big man he has few peers) but never had the singular talent a Magic, Bird, J or Kobe could bring to bear. I played small D2 and why nobody made him jump shoot and not drive amazed me. he couldnt beat you that way in a million years. he always does the same thing; dribbles at the 3-line then goes past you when you get too close. but c'mon; if Wilt, Kareem or Russel was in the paint smacking his stuff into the 3rd row a couple times it'd stop. nobody plays that kind of D anymore. the NBA is fun but a bunch of over paid prima donnas GS Warriors maybe excepted. maybe a big slice of humble pie will make him think a little. but maybe HOU and GS (if they keep Durant) will be so good for next 4-5 years that his glory days are well over. me thinks so.....

Hero slaying has been around a long time. LeBron is a disciplined athlete - family man - role model -generous philanthropist- honest businessman - his school in Akron is uplifting the lives of students - and he gave those of us who love Northeast Ohio a joy that will never go away. Thanks LeBron! Let the dogs bark.

A lot of people resent LeBron because all of his fortune, fame, and success. And the fact he is built like a super hero and can dunk from the free throw stripe. LeBron is trying; he's not perfect. He took a big chunk of his own money and opened a school. That's a good start. Nonetheless, LBJ is gonna have to tread with circumspection. The Lakers had a very bad year, and then Earvin Johnson quit the front office. LeBron's first television program, "Million Dollar Mile" is on the cusp of cancellation after bad ratings. The filming of LeBron's magnum opus redux, "Space Jam 2 " has been delayed. Reportedly other stars won't join him because of their shoe deals, and because they fancy themselves film protagonists in their own right. To make it in Hollywood, LeBron will need fresh ideas, and not recycled stuff or chewing the old phat with his posse. Magic Johnson tried late-night talk after basketball, and it was a complete failure and mockery. Then he had the good fortune to meet a business partner who got him hooked up with Sony Theaters, Fat Burger, and other productive deals. Also, realm of the sports superstar has changed since Michael Jordan. Familiarity through streaming video breeds contempt very quickly. Through the smart phone and social media, the general public has been inculcated with a desire for active participation and less passive consumption. LeBron needs a good partner and counsel. Even the greats do.

A little harsh. But I think that the better article would be to substitute the Lakers for him. The team has been a failure and coasting on Kobe’s name fir the longest time. Then this simple fact: It seemed to me that no one on the Lakers likes him. Why is that?

I think James harden is the best player for this season kings james is starting old.

This column is totally off base. LeBron is the greatest basketball player of his generation and is perhaps GOAT ( MJ is close) Do not over react to one season in LA. The best is yet to come.

Another prime example of why (anti-) social media is a festering pit of the worst 7th grade impulses of humanity.

I think the writer here overstates the passionate and loud Knicks' fans noise and bluster. LeBron is a decent and philanthropic man with great athletic abilities. It's true that the twitter crowd is a mean spirited mass but they too will pass.