More on James.
LeBron James’ podium protest is reminder that The King always gets his way
STEFAN BONDY
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Tuesday, June 6, 2017, 1:28 AM
CLEVELAND — For two straight days LeBron James protested the press conference podium at the NBA Finals because he doesn’t like to wait for his turn.
A Diva Without A Cause.
It’s not a big deal except to the hardworking NBA PR staff which, at the last minute, had to scramble to accommodate King James. The league likes to tout its vast number of credentialed media from all over the world, and then had to tell cameramen there won’t be enough space in the locker room to capture an interview with the star attraction.
There are three things that are clearer about James since his return to Cleveland: 1) He’s the best basketball player on the planet, 2) He’s controlling, 3) He always gets his way.
Just ask David Blatt.
Against coaches and podium responsibilities, James will win 10 times out of 10. Against the Warriors, though, he is helpless. And the league can’t enjoy that development, either.
If LeBron doesn’t feel like standing around for 10 minutes so the winners can finish their press conference, imagine the NBA fans already waiting about three months for a decent playoff series? They’re still watching in near-record numbers, with Games 1 and 2 boasting the highest TV ratings for the openers of an NBA Finals since 1998. But we suspect that had much more to do with the great drama of last year’s Finals, rather than the lopsided displays throughout the 2017 postseason. We’ve crunched the numbers at the Daily News, and there’s a solid chance this year will represent the worst NBA playoffs under the modern system. If the Warriors sweep, there will have been 78 total playoff games this year over 55 days, including eight series where one team failed to win more than a game. Since the first round moved to a Best of 7 in 2003, the fewest total playoff games was 79 in 2007 — the same year LeBron and the Cavs were swept by the Spurs.
Seven of the nine conference finals games this year were decided by 12 points or more, including three games where the difference was at least 33 points. In the Finals heading into Wednesday’s Game 3, the Warriors have outscored Cleveland by a combined 41 points.
They’re too good, and their crew of stars are clogging up the podium. Following Sunday’s loss, LeBron told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that his interview-room protest is based on “frustration” with the way the NBA is running the schedule.
In other words, The King may not win a title this year but he waits for nobody.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/lebron-podium-protest-reminder-king-article-1.3223910
