The Indiana Pacers improved to 6-6 on Wednesday night with a stunning 103-93 upset of the defending NBA champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Except, it’s not all that stunning because LeBron James was given the night off to rest, as he’s averaging 37 minutes per game this season, and that’s higher than his career average. Still, Cavs coach and Allen Iverson obstacle Tyronn Lue says the night off had nothing to do with the superstar’s workload, because he was already planning to limit James’ playing time this season for the sake of the 31-year-old’s health.
Try explaining that to NBA fans and sports columnists, though. With the former, we’ve heard this story before. Last year, Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel told the story of how he made a child cry by revealing that James was taking that game off against the Pacers. Apparently King James has a thing against Indiana, but it works in the Star’s favor, because on Wednesday night, they shared the story of how James ruined Anthony Knox’s bucket list.
“Devastating, man. Drove three hours. Came from Chicago, man. I was going to cross that off my bucket list. Get to see LeBron,” Knox said outside Bankers Life Fieldhouse as he mimed crossing off his list before pausing, then letting out a heavy sigh. “But that’s not happening tonight.”
“I’m just stunned,” Knox said. “We had that long drive, and I’ve been wanting to see LeBron play for years. I finally get the opportunity, and now I find out he’s not playing, and I’m like, ‘Dude, ‘We’re 11 games into the season, and you’re sitting out. Come on man.’ Breaks my heart.” (Via the Indy Star)
Any NBA fan can feel Knox’s pain. It sucks when you get to the arena, spend a ton of money on crappy food, and find your seats, only to have some drunk jackass put his coat on you or take both arm rests. And then your favorite player doesn’t show up? Fans deserve better notice than that.
That’s why WTHR columnist Bob Kravitz has the fan’s back. He’s the hero that pissed off sports fans need right now, and he’s not messing around in Thursday’s nuclear column:
The wussification of America is complete now.
Buckle up, folks, this guy can do push-ups and probably eats steak. Also, he apparently exists in the 2009 Internet. Wait ‘til he gets to 2013 and learns about the men’s rights movement.
It was bad enough during the baseball postseason when managers started yanking productive starting pitchers after five innings, or when relievers hit the 30-pitch mark and broadcasters breathlessly wondered how – oh, HOW! – that reliever might come back the next evening and, you know, do the job he’s paid millions to do.
Now, though, we have LeBron James sitting out the 11th game of the regular season. The 11th. Not the 56th. Not the 71st. The 11th.
You know this guy is serious and not trolling for clicks because he didn’t write, “Not the 69th.” This guy means business.
Remember the old days when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson routinely took the night off three weeks into the season so they could properly maintain their bodies and get the proper amount of beauty sleep?
No, me neither.
Somewhere, Cal Ripken, Jr. is smirking.
Or he’s reading a book and relaxing by the pool. Maybe enjoying a nice brunch after a round of golf. Ripken probably doesn’t care what James does, but maybe Kravitz knows better. Anyway, let’s get to the bottom of Kravitz’s complaint. Hey, angry columnist: Is LeBron James SAWFT?
(Now, before my old city of Cleveland crushes me and suggests I’m calling James soft, understand, I am not. Repeat: I. Am. Not. The guy is the ultimate basketball warrior, as tough-minded and emotionally invested in winning as Michael or Kobe or any of the other all-timers. I’m just saying, these guys are now surrounded by so many specialists, so many sports scientists and sleep doctors and nutritionists and folks who monitor their every bodily function, even the gross ones, they end up being pampered and babied and convinced they need a night off in just the 11th game of the season.)
Oh okay, Kravitz is just calling the Cavaliers franchise, as a whole, a wussy. So, I guess all that’s left to wonder is: Did any children cry?
“Are you here to write about LeBron?” a father asked me as I rode down the parking-garage elevator with him and his two young boys.
“I was, but I don’t know if you know this yet, he’s not playing tonight,” I said.
“Well,” he said, drawing a deep breath of resignation, “we know now.”
I stole a glance at the two young boys and wished I’d kept my mouth shut. It was as if I’d told them there was no Santa Claus.
That story that totally happened is so heartbreaking. How could you, LeBron?
