Why do so many Lakers fans hate LeBron?

[Goomba3666]

To finish my point-

When you hear people reference the 2000 Finals series and Kobe's number's to diminish his accomplishments/contribution that series, it's a clear indicator that:

A) You shouldn't take them seriously as basketball fans because their analysis is based on acontextual statsheets.

B) They subconsciously believe that Kobe is so Great that he should've still dominated on a bum ankle despite being undercut.

[-Sammy-]

"Ohh but he brought yall a championship. You should be happy" Nah I'm good. They barely beat a Miami Heat team that wasn't even 100%. I'm supposed to be impressed by that? I'll pass.

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

If you want to question the bubble, or dislike a guy even when he's on their team, that's at least reasonable, but to actually undercut and diminish one of your team's own titles? Do you really want to give it back? You want to go back to having fewer titles than the rival Celtics, all over your feelings for one player? Shouldn't your love for your team completely outshine whatever feelings you have about any individual player?

That's bizarre to me. I don't mean that as an insult, but I think that when your feelings for one player are so extreme that you actually want to diminish what your team has accomplished over them, those feelings need to be carefully reconsidered; either that, or you should reconsider whether you're actually a fan of the team.

This reminds me of something someone posted here on the GB back when James first signed in L.A.; I don't remember who it is, but he was at the time a very active, vocal, high-profile Laker fan/LeBron hater. Anyhow, he posted that no real Laker fan would pull for the Lakers while James was on the team, and that he was going to bandwagon the Warriors until James left. As far as any of us could tell, he was totally serious.

Think about that: this guy was so deluded by his hatred for a player that it was reasonable to him that 'real' fans should hope for their team to lose and for some other team to win. That's backwards and weird and completely absurd; such is the level of some folks' irrational hatred for a man they'll never even meet over something as ultimately-unimportant as a game.

[Rainwater]

Kobe fans

That doesn't explain some Heat fans hating him too, like me.

The reason is simple.

Lebron is the most unlikeable superstar in sports history. He's incredibly fake, manufactured, and selfish. Lebron only cares about Lebron and will use anyone to try and prop himself up.


Even Kobe, with his huge ego, never came out and said "That right there makes me the greatest ever" like Lebron did about the 2016 finals.

Lebron is a never ending factory of cringe.

"Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7...."

He is the BIGGEST front runner I've ever seen in sports. And it's not just about basketball.

Lebron will front run politics if it means it will help his brand. Remember the China thing? Lebron quick to run his mouth on EASY political stances in america, but when it hurts his bottom line $$$$, he defends China.

I can go on and on. His passive aggressive twitter comments, his fake personality, his stat padding, everything.

Man, a lot of people who hated him in Miami were Wade Fans. I'm friends with a Miami fan and couldn't get over the fact it was LeBron's team.

[-Sammy-]

One of the most humorous aspects of this issue to me is the attempt dismiss the 2020 title because of the bubble. Aside from the lunacy of acting like it's somehow a less valuable championship, they are their own worst enemies: nobody's ever going to forget that title because every three minutes, one of y'all brings it up again trying to convince anyone who'll listen that nobody cares about it. Maybe the Streisand Effect should be renamed.

[AussieRules]

Kobe raped a woman, blew up the Lakers when his ego couldn’t take being second fiddle to Shaq anymore, and then demanded trades until the Lakers got Pau Gasol. #MambaMentality.

Tells me all I need to know about you. All because I don’t like Lebron I don’t have to like him dude.

I know that folks like to pretend that it didn’t happen because no one wants to admit to rooting for someone who committed such a heinous offense, but it very much did. To each their own, though.

The case was dropped. But in your mind “rape” did happen.

[AussieRules]

"Ohh but he brought yall a championship. You should be happy" Nah I'm good. They barely beat a Miami Heat team that wasn't even 100%. I'm supposed to be impressed by that? I'll pass.

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

[thebigbird]

Tells me all I need to know about you. All because I don’t like Lebron I don’t have to like him dude.

I know that folks like to pretend that it didn’t happen because no one wants to admit to rooting for someone who committed such a heinous offense, but it very much did. To each their own, though.

The case was dropped. But in your mind “rape” did happen.

Kobe quite literally came out and all but admitted it. Rooting for a rapist isn’t something that I’ve ever been cool with. Say what you want about LeBron, but that’s not something he’s done. He’s represented the league with class for 19 years. No arrests, no off the court problems. A model citizen.

[AussieRules]

As if Kobe was this unselfish, pass-first guy

LeBron didn’t get to play with peak Shaq, and yet he still has twice as many FMVPs as Kobe. There’s zero argument for Kobe being the better player. None. That argument ended years ago.

Kobe playing with Shaq hurt his FMVP chances.

Also Kobe didn’t form superteams in his prime, his prime years was wasted by the lakers FO, but those years made him Kobe and made laker fans fall in love with him. That was where the mamba mentality was born, out scoring a team all by himself because he refuses to give up.

Unlike Lebron who gives up the moment he is not able to front-run

...what? Kobe playing with Shaq ruined his FMVP chances? Well yeah of course it did, but he wouldn't have been in the finals without Shaq what a weird thing to say.

He went to 3 straight finals without Shaq, y’all are weird on this board.

[-Sammy-]

"Ohh but he brought yall a championship. You should be happy" Nah I'm good. They barely beat a Miami Heat team that wasn't even 100%. I'm supposed to be impressed by that? I'll pass.

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

Hey-- to each his own. But to say you'd rather have a few years of maybes over an actual championship is pretty wrong-headed. To my way of thinking, the logic goes like this: 'I wish we could give back the thing we definitely won, so we could have a few years of trying to maybe win one of the things we definitely did win but gave back.'

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where are learned that all rings are not equal.

The 2007 title my Spurs won was pretty anticlimactic, too; I have no interest in giving it back, though.

The 2009, 2002, and 2001 Finals series' were pretty anticlimactic, too; you wanna give those titles back?

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble.

No, you don't; but in my opinion, you should like the fact that your team won the title. Even if you (mistakenly, in my view) view the bubble title as less valuable than non-bubble titles, it was still the most valuable thing an NBA team could win that season. Would you give back a $5mil lottery win because it wasn't $10mil?

I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

This is about fandom, not Laker fandom; every criticism I've offered addresses the dynamic of fans not supporting their team's accomplishments, which is a universal issue, not a Laker Nation issue.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

In ten years, will 2020 title be viewed more as Lakers title or the title Lebron won with Lakers? I'm betting on the latter.

No one cares about the bubble title the Lakers won. It was a manufactured environment.

[AussieRules]

What was anticlimactic about your Spurs 2007 championship and how does it compare to the shortened bubble championship the lakers won?

Oh I like the fact that my team won a title, what I hate is that, that has been pretty much been the only enjoyable (tho anti-climatic) season Lebron has had during his 4 seasons here in LA.

The rest have been painful to disappointing at best, Lebron has not lived up to the hype in LA.

I prefer our young core and what we were building, we were building towards a title, I’m jealous the Suns get to build around Booker and their young core, the Heat built around Bam and their young core, heck even the Celtics still have Tatum and Brown and not getting blown out by 30 damn near every night. I miss rooting for an actual team.

What the lakers are right now is a franchise filled with washed up super fiends, no young player to develop, follow, or root for, it SUCKS!

[thebigbird]

In ten years, will 2020 title be viewed more as Lakers title or the title Lebron won with Lakers? I'm betting on the latter.

No one cares about the bubble title the Lakers won. It was a manufactured environment.

You care so little that you never stop talking about it.

[-Sammy-]

Oh I like the fact that my team won a title, what I hate is that, that has been pretty much been the only enjoyable (tho anti-climatic) season Lebron has had during his 4 seasons here in LA.

Well, that I do understand. The price of a LeBron-led title is always VERY high, and I don't blame fans of James teams who get frustrated with all the drama and noise that inevitably swirls around their teams while he's on them. I'd have big misgivings about the prospect of that circus coming to my team-- but I'd swallow it all happily if a title was the fruit.

I prefer our young core and what we were building, we were building towards a title...

I understand that, too; but you actually did win a title, and that's worth more than a whole stack of 'building towards'.

I’m jealous the Suns get to build around Booker and their young core, the Heat built around Bam and their young core, heck even the Celtics still have Tatum and Brown and not getting blown out by 30 damn near every night.

True enough-- but those three young promising cores have won a cumulative zero titles thus far. I'd still take the one.

What the lakers are right now is a franchise filled with washed up super fiends, no young player to develop, follow, or root for, it SUCKS!

Ha ha... well, we agree on that, too, and I know it ain't much fun right now.

[TokeBulls]

"Ohh but he brought yall a championship. You should be happy" Nah I'm good. They barely beat a Miami Heat team that wasn't even 100%. I'm supposed to be impressed by that? I'll pass.

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

The fact that you'd rather your team not win a championship makes me question your fandom. Your hate of a player eclipses your love for your team. Doesn't seem like you're much of a fan tbh.

[ajones9219]

Your team has won 1 title since 1986 and only made it to 2 finals since 1987. LeBron’s 4 years in Miami and 4 years in Cleveland were both more successful than your team’s last 3+ decades.

Boston has been relevant and has had and does have tools to improve. My point stands that a chip isn't worth years of irrelevance after

I'm sure Heat and Cavs fans were torn up about being a bad team after 4 straight finals appearances each and 1-2 championships. Those poor fanbases.

Cavs fans were fine because they got their first chip. Heat fans had won before LeBron so a lot of Heat fans have distaste for LeBron after he dipped

[ajones9219]

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

The fact that you'd rather your team not win a championship makes me question your fandom. Your hate of a player eclipses your love for your team. Doesn't seem like you're much of a fan tbh.

We get it, you are willing to sacrifice long term team success for a title. A lot of people are not

[thebigbird]

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

The fact that you'd rather your team not win a championship makes me question your fandom. Your hate of a player eclipses your love for your team. Doesn't seem like you're much of a fan tbh.

We get it, you are willing to sacrifice long term team success for a title. A lot of people are not

Dawg you’re talking about “sacrificing long term team success” when LeBron went to Miami and won 2 titles and then after he left, the Heat still made it back to the finals before your Celtics did.

[Clemenza]

He went to the wrong LA team. Laker fans have hated him for years upon years. They were beside themselves and confused when he joined the team

[AussieRules]

I've never heard of fans of a team actually trying to explain away one of its titles and saying they'd rather not have it.

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

The fact that you'd rather your team not win a championship makes me question your fandom. Your hate of a player eclipses your love for your team. Doesn't seem like you're much of a fan tbh.

You have a right to your opinion.

Speaking for myself, I’d rather have winning seasons and keep building till we win a championship, not buy one with super friends and watch a team filled with a new roster every season.

There has been no strategy to team building, all they do is slap big names together every season and expect us fans to be happy and root for a fast food microwave team.

[-Sammy-]

I’d rather not have it. I prefer the young core team we were building, we had 2 max slots to sign young non washed superstars that was willing to take our money, too bad Lebron happened.

The bubble ring was the most anti-climatic championship I ever experienced as a laker fan. That was where I learned that not all rings are created equal.

We do not have to like Lebron or thank our stars for winning a championship in the bubble. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, we reserve the right to like and not like whoever we want. I hate when fans of other teams try to speak for laker fans, trying to tell us how we should feel, it’s absurd.

The fact that you'd rather your team not win a championship makes me question your fandom. Your hate of a player eclipses your love for your team. Doesn't seem like you're much of a fan tbh.

We get it, you are willing to sacrifice long term team success for a title. A lot of people are not

I have no issue with fans who disagree with the direction their teams choose to go; I can sympathize with Laker fans who were frustrated three years ago when their team switched into win-now mode.

My issue is with supposed fans who actively dislike an actual title their team really won because one guy was part of it. Anyone who wishes they could give back a championship in exchange for an attempt to win a championship hasn't thought through their opinion and is operating on emotion and not reason.

'Why are you giving this trophy back?'

'So I can rebuild and hopefully try to win it someday!'

'...'