Basketball is a year-round sport. The NBA extends well into the summer even after the NBA finals conclude. NBA Summer League gives NBA fans their fill of upcoming talent. Los Angeles denizens are lucky enough to see the Drew League. The WNBA is an overlooked league that deserves more views. We’re in the dog days of summer, starved for content and turns out people wanted to be mad at LeBron James for being a father.
.@KingJames was so hype that he lost his shoe 😂😭
🎥: @ballislife pic.twitter.com/s4QwshpJ7p— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) July 28, 2019
Here is a video of LeBron celebrating an alley-oop. Displaying such emotions was classified on twitter as a “social disorder”.
LeBron also partook in layup lines too!
When @KingJames joins the layup line … 💥
(via @WhosNextHS) pic.twitter.com/2HyM7fzDYk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 27, 2019
This drew the ire from a lot of twitter and talking heads on sports television.
“LeBron is making this about himself.”
“LeBron is weird for this. He’s stealing their spotlight.”
“How is this any different from Lavar Ball?”
I don’t think the people that criticize what LeBron is doing understands how unarranged AAU basketball is. AAU basketball is about the children, sure, but think about how cool that would be as a kid to be partaking in a layup line with LeBron. Ball would probably blow the layup.
Ball is mainly known for antics done for self-promotion. LeBron is a basketball player and when he’s on a court he’d want to participate in one way or another. He loves the game. More importantly, he loves his son. He’s being an incredibly supportive father and he’s giving his kids what he never had.
LeBron’s upbringing was not an easy one. He was born to Gloria James, a 16-year-old in high school. On the Shop, he spoke about the resentment for his absentee father led him to be a better dad.
The crazy thing is. My whole life I grew up resenting my father, everything was like ‘F*** pops, he left me. Why would he do that to my mom?’ My mom was sixteen years old she’s a sophomore in high school when she had me. And I was like if I ever met him, we going to blows right off top […] As I got older and as I became more of an adult, I started to realize and think to myself well ‘Damn, what was he going through?’[…] Was it things that he couldn’t control?[…] He’s the reason I am the father I am today. Because I always wanted to set an example and have the father figure in their lives so they never had that resentment.
LeBron shows the affection and love for his family in every facet of his life. He jots his family members’ names on his shoes. You always see him shouting out his family on his social media. It’s widely known how much love he has for his kids which is how we got to this point.
LeBron was there to support LeBron James Jr. His firstborn was given his namesake and the promise of the father that the elder LeBron never had.
So my whole thing was like, whenever I have a kid, not only is he going to be a junior, I’m gonna do everything that this man didn’t do.
James has said he regrets giving his son that name because of the expectations that come from it. Regardless of the name, LeBron has provided his children with the father he wishes he had. LeBron’s being a parent and that’s natural. Who wouldn’t be hyped at seeing a well-executed play at an AAU game? There was an interesting tidbit from that same episode of The Shop when he spoke to his own mother about being at games.
You want to know the first person I apologized to? It was my mom that was sitting right here, and the reason why I apologized to my mom was because I used to get on my mom so much. When I was a kid and she should go crazy in my AAU games, I was just like ‘Mom, chill out mom.’ And I went crazy about my kids.
There’s nothing wrong about LeBron being passionate about fatherhood. It’s natural. It seems like there is a lot of noise about how this parenting style is a problem but there’s silence when a celebrity doesn’t acknowledge their child.
As a kid, you want nothing more than your parents’ love. You’d want them to cheer you on through the successes. Someone to help you up when you’re down. A source of support through the myriad difficulties that you face with growing up. LeBron has done that.
His enthusiasm at AAU games shows how much he cares for his kids and we’ll see more of it when Bryce James plays more. LeBron James has unwavering support for his children and that should be celebrated. You see that goofy side of him during Taco Tuesday. He’ll show his kids having a great time on vacation during the offseason.
LeBron’s attitude towards fatherhood is a testament to what he endured and the work he has put in as a person. He has worked to ensure his kids would never wonder if they’ll have food on the table. He’s given them an opportunity to do what they want and know he’s there for them.
