Why People Dislike LeBron James

LeBron James is a great basketball player—one of the greatest of all time. Anyone who disagrees with that statement can't be taken seriously. But he's also one of the most polarizing of all time, so many fans of the NBA, who have common sense and a genuine respect for James's ability and career, find they dislike him. I want to give reasons why. 

1. This is unfair to LeBron, but one reason is that he is an athletic and physical freak of nature. You've heard this: "Of course he's good. He's bigger and faster and stronger than everyone else." Well, so was Wilt Chamberlain, Bo Jackson, and Lawrence Taylor. Envy and jealousy aren't particularly good reasons not to like someone, and it disregards the work great athletes put in to hone their craft. There are better reasons not to like LeBron, but there is no denying this is one of them.

2. LeBron has self-declared he's the greatest basketball player of all time. In a 2018 interview, LeBron referenced the Cleveland Cavaliers' come-from-behind championship in 2016, and he said that moment "made me the greatest of all time." At the 2022 All-Star Game, he doubled down about the 2016 comeback and said, "At that moment, I was like, I'm the greatest basketball player people have ever seen." In a Time magazine article, he stated there was "no question" he was the greatest. Well, there is a question about that, and though I'm sure many athletes over the ages have believed and expressed they felt they were the greatest—Muhammad Ali, for instance—I don't recall anyone else wearing patches on his or her uniform proclaiming it or being vain enough to use @KingJames as his social media handle.

3. LeBron made it to the NBA finals ten times in fourteen years...nine times in ten years. That is a testament to his greatness (and possibly to the weak NBA East), but it created fatigue for the viewers who became tired of watching him.

4. His political activism turned a lot of fans off. 

There have been many instances, but I'm going to focus on two. The "Black Lives Matter" activism is one, and I'm going to ignore the belief the organization is a scam because it seems like money is mismanaged, diverted, and stolen in nearly all organizations. What bothers NBA fans is that 80% of NBA players are black, and we love them. I was thinking about my favorite NBA players over nearly six decades, and I came up with only two white players who were among my favorites. If there ever was a place where black lives matter, it is the NBA. I know...LeBron wasn't talking about the NBA, but the reason he is popular and well-known is because of the NBA—a place where the average American goes to get away from politics and doesn't feel racism—to watch great athletes compete. We love sports. We often hate politics. We don't want politics in our sports.

The second instance I will focus on is James's support of Communist China. In October of 2019, Houston Rockets GM, Daryl Morey, posted a tweet supporting Hong Kong civil rights protesters. China reacted by suspending broadcasts and pulling out of sponsorships, which financially impacted the NBA (and LeBron James). LeBron criticized Morey. Since LeBron often spoke out about human rights injustices in the U.S.—and it was factual that Chinese citizens experience civil rights injustices—it looked like James placed his financial interests above human interests. Many people saw that as hypocrisy, and they don't like him for it.

 

5. Fans don't like how James has "chased championships" by switching teams (four times now) and assembling all-star lineups to improve his chances. This has nothing to do with how great a player he is, but it begs comparison to the other players who are perceived as the greatest players of all time. Jabbar, Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson played on more than one team, but they were traded. Michael Jordan played on two teams, but he came out of retirement as the Wizards' president of basketball operations and part-owner to play on a poor team. The others? Duncan, Magic, Bird, Thomas, Russell, Havicek, West, Kobe, Curry, Olajuwon—they played their entire careers with one team. Shaq floated around some, but people loved his personality, so he seems to have a free pass. One thing none of the other greats did, however, is have a prime-time television special to announce how they were leaving their hometown team to chase a championship. And how many championships did he say he would win in Miami? "Not one...not two...not three...not four...not five...not six...not seven..." Well, he won two with the super team that was created for him, and then he left Miami too. 

6. The last reason I'll mention has to do with his play—his traveling and flopping. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@__bigjoe__/video/7658560536153574687

This is a sampling. There are worse examples. 

LeBron James will be 42 years old in December of 2026, and he'll be playing in his 24th season. He's had arguably the greatest career of any professional basketball player in history, and millions of fans will argue as a player, he is the GOAT (greatest of all time). Others will disagree, and it's not just because they feel someone is greater. It's because they have great reasons not to like him. 

The Courthouse and A.I.

It was 2010. I had one novel under my belt, Loving the Rain. I didn't expect people to like it, but the consistent response was that I should write another one. I decided to use the same two characters, a father and son with parapsychological abilities. I had an idea about Clay Thomas meeting a woman on a train. The town eight miles east of where I lived at the time was known for its train depot, so that's where I started my research. I found out about a famous historical train wreck in that town, where a train carrying a traveling circus (including many circus animals) was struck by a second engine. Performers and animals were killed, the animals were buried along the tracks, and the unidentified performers were buried in a local cemetery. I also learned the depot was supposed to be haunted. I drove to the town and visited the depot, where they gave me printed materials, took me on a tour, and told me ghost stories. I learned more about the train wreck, and a story started to form in my mind. 

I drove around town, often getting stuck waiting for trains at railroad crossings, and I used a map to make my description of the town factual and realistic. But what was most difficult for Skeleton Key was figuring out the forensics for my murder victim. After much effort, I finally got connected with the county coroner for my town, and he was kind and patient enough to help me figure out how my victim died and how the forensic evidence, seven years after the fact, could prove it. I also had to talk to an attorney friend to figure out other technical plot elements. One year later, I wrote Bulletproof and experienced almost the exact same issues.

But now...I use A.I. I don't use it to write my book. I use it to research it. And there's practically nothing I can't ask about. In my latest novel, The Courthouse, I still visited the county archives and spoke with the archivist. And I visited our courthouse and was taken on a tour by the deputy mayor. I still accumulated some paperwork, took notes, and took pictures. I still did some internet research. For instance, I was directed to a woman to talk to her about the ghosts in the courthouse, but she was very ill and passed away before I could talk to her. However, I found a YouTube video where she explained everything I needed to know. I also spoke to a former judge about a few details concerning my court trial. Other than that, I used A.I. 

I didn't drive around town. I asked ChatGPT for pictures, maps, and descriptions, and that's how I chose my neighborhoods. I asked so many questions about court trials that I could write ten blogs. I asked for countless pictures so I could visualize places and things without leaving my desk. I asked about police procedures, elections, laws, psychology and personality disorders, guns, DNA, the Army, ravens, a local park, and local restaurant menus. But second to trial and law questions, I asked mostly about forensics. I didn't need my personal pathologist. I simply asked hundreds of questions on ChatGPT.

For those of you who have experienced A.I. research, some of my experiences might ring true. I began to talk to ChatGPT like we had a relationship. Sometimes, it was give and take. I'd tell it my plot ideas and ask questions. It would give suggestions or facts. I'd narrow things down or make corrections, and I'd get something new. Sometimes the responses were totally off course, and I'd tell ChatGPT to listen to me. I'd say, "I already told you that" or "No, you're wrong. That can't be true because of A, B, or C." It would respond with an apology, or it would thank me, or it would tell me my ideas were fantastic. ChatGPT stroked my ego regularly. 

Sometimes the A.I. would summarize my requests and ask if it should proceed. I'd have to give permission. Sometimes it would remember things we'd already chatted about and tell me I was really developing great plans. Often, it would ask me what tone I wanted, and it would volunteer to write my scene. I found myself explaining several times that I'd write my own scenes. I just wanted research or technical help. 

When I was done, it helped create designs for my cover. And then I had an idea. I wondered what my main characters looked like. So, I described them to the best of my ability, and then I asked for a few revisions, and Reese Carlton and Ashvi Patel showed up. 

 

I keep all of my notes for each book in a folder. What I've found fascinating is that my latest novel has by far the most written and printed notes. One would think it would be just the opposite, but A.I. made me think more...plan better...revise more. It made me reorganize more, and it helped me do better. People always ask me what my best book is or what my favorite book is. That's a nearly impossible question to answer, but now maybe I'd say The Courthouse. Check it out.  Link to The Courthouse