Yahoo!: LeBron's unbearable attitude with Team USA and Nike's warning...

[url]http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Asisw0B7dxxElRE6rxc2p.C8vLYF?slug=aw-heatfreeagency071610[/url]

[quote] A different discussion had played out within the NBA and USA Basketball: What should we do with LeBron?

From Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski to managing director Jerry Colangelo to NBA elders, the issue of James’ immaturity and downright disrespectfulness had become a consuming topic on the march to the Olympics. The course of history could’ve changed dramatically, because there was a real risk that James wouldn’t be brought to Beijing based on fears his monumental talents weren’t worth the daily grind of dealing with him.

When the mandate had been to gather these immense egos and get the NBA’s greatest players to fit into a program, no one had a more difficult time meshing into the framework than James. Other players made it a point to learn the names of staffers and modestly go about their business without barking orders and brash demands.

[b]No one could stand James as a 19-year-old in the 2004 Athens Olympics, nor the 2006 World Championships. Officials feared James could become the instigator of everything they wanted to rid themselves for the ’08 Olympics. [/b]

For as gifted as James was, Krzyzewski and Colangelo subscribed to a belief that with Kobe Bryant(notes) joining the national team in 2007, they could win a gold medal in ’08 with or without LeBron James. Behind the scenes, officials had taken to calling James’ inner circle, “The Enablers.” No one ever told him to grow up. No one ever challenged him. And yet, James was still a powerful pull for his teammates, and everyone had to agree they could no longer let his bossy and belittling act go unchecked. These weren’t the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Team USA wasn’t beholden to him.

After the NBA witnessed the behavior of James and his business manager Maverick Carter during the 2007 All-Star Weekend, the commissioner’s office sent word to USA Basketball the league wouldn’t force James on them for the Olympics.

[b]Before Team USA gathered for the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas, an unmistakable message had been delivered to James through Nike: Unless you change, we’re serious about leaving you home.[/b]

“Legacies were on the line,” one league official said, “and they weren’t going to let LeBron [expletive] it up for everyone in China.”

Through Nike, James ultimately heeded the message and made himself more tolerable to coaches, teammates and staff. Team USA assigned Jason Kidd(notes) to babysit him at the Tournament of the Americas in 2007, to try to teach him something the Cavaliers never had a veteran to do: professionalism.
[/quote]

Whoa! Even Nike had to tell LeBron to change his attitude or they'd drop him!?

Apparently this piece coincides with ESPN's Henry Abbott:

[url]http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/print?id=17297[/url]

[quote]Way back in Team USA 2006, Mike Krzyzewski's coaching staff -- D'Antoni, Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim -- were asked to vote on which players to cut first to get down to the 15-player traveling roster. They ended up cutting Shawn Marion, Adam Morrison and Luke Ridnour.

But, as I reported in 2006, three out of four members of that staff voted to make LeBron James the first player cut. It has never been made public which coach voted which way, and Mike D'Antoni would not comment on the topic now. [/quote]

:roll:

And everyone said AI and Marbury were the cancers on the 2004 team.....

Honestly I think this is BS. Coach K has always loved Lebron + Adrian Wojnarowski is a garbage writer

[QUOTE=game3524]:roll:

And everyone said AI and Marbury were the cancers on the 2004 team.....[/QUOTE]

Lebron is the biggest cancer in the NBA. That's just real brah.

I love it.

This article just prove that he is Lebronze.

They can win gold because Kobe joined the team, as quoted from above by the coaching staff.

[QUOTE=Mr Clutch Melo]Honestly I think this is BS. Coach K has always loved Lebron + Adrian Wojnarowski is a garbage writer[/QUOTE]

there is no proof that Coack K loved this guy.

Coack K is a good guy and he won't say anything bad on camera. I think Coack K really dislikes Lebron.

Let's be honest, Lebron isn't a Duke type of player. He's childish and selfish.

[QUOTE=Mr Clutch Melo]Honestly I think this is BS. Coach K has always loved Lebron + Adrian Wojnarowski is a garbage writer[/QUOTE]
:roll:

That is one of the most asinine statements I have ever heard. Woj is one of the best NBA writers in the world and is highly respected by others in the media all around the league.

Get out of here with your BS just because Woj is rippin LeDiva a new one.

somehow... this does not surprise.

[QUOTE=D-Rose]:roll:

That is one of the most asinine statements I have ever heard. Woj is one of the best NBA writers in the world and is highly respected by others in the media all around the league.

Get out of here with your BS just because Woj is rippin LeDiva a new one.[/QUOTE]

Lol @ you and the other Kobe- nuthu*gers :roll: Every jornualist that rips Lebron is among the best writers :oldlol:

[QUOTE=Mr Clutch Melo]Lol @ you and the other Kobe- nuthu*gers :roll: Every jornualist that rips Lebron is among the best writers :oldlol:[/QUOTE]

Actually WOJ is probably the best NBA journalist there is..he breaks every story

[QUOTE=TheLogo]I love it.

This article just prove that he is Lebronze.

They can win gold because Kobe joined the team, as quoted from above by the coaching staff.[/QUOTE]

Another post about kobe

so insecure:lol

So they wait like 6 years to say this?

Would this have came out if he stayed in Cleveland?

[QUOTE=Mr Clutch Melo]Lol @ you and the other Kobe- nuthu*gers :roll: Every jornualist that rips Lebron is among the best writers :oldlol:[/QUOTE]
Haha, get a clue. Forget LeBron or this story at all, Woj routinely writes some of the best pieces about the league and is one of the best insiders as well. not to mention he's a NY Times bestselling author. GTFO of here if you don't know what you're talking about.

Lol Nuggets fans, you will never win anything, Melo knows it too that's why he hasn't signed the enormous extension offer :roll:

[QUOTE=Mr Clutch Melo]Lol @ you and the other Kobe- nuthu*gers :roll: Every jornualist that rips Lebron is among the best writers :oldlol:[/QUOTE]

lol @ you and the Lebron huggers....Every journalist is a bad writer if they write bad about Lebron.

lol @ calling people Kobe huggers because we agree on an article saying bad things about him.

[QUOTE=Batz]So they wait like 6 years to say this?[/QUOTE]

Someone from the Cavs obivously leaked this or is just lying.......

[QUOTE=Andrei89]Another post about kobe

so insecure:lol[/QUOTE]

stalking much?

Why so insecure?:lol

Just trying to see your ongoing streak of mentioning kobe in every thread that ain't related to him

Why so insecure?

[QUOTE=Andrei89]Why so insecure?:lol[/QUOTE]

follow the crumbs my pet


.. . . .. .. . ............................. .... . . . ... ...... .. . . .... .......... ... . .... ........... .... ... . . . . .................. . . .. .. . . . ....... ....... ....... . . .. .. .

[QUOTE=Batz]So they wait like 6 years to say this?[/QUOTE]

I read that as being about the 08 olympics.
so, 2 years to come out.

Still insecure

god damn stop:roll:

why do I get the feeling that we are going to start seeing more "dirt" on Lebron.

I suppose the real insiders feel that they no longer have to protect his image?

More from the article:

[quote]Through Nike, James ultimately heeded the message and became more tolerable to coaches, teammates and staff. Team USA assigned Jason Kidd(notes) to babysit him at the Tournament of the Americas in 2007, to try to teach him something the Cavaliers never had a veteran to do: professionalism.
[/quote]

Baby sitter Kidd.

whats pretty laughable about this article is he doesn't give any specifics. just generalizes how bad of an attitude lebron had, but i'd love to hear any confirmation of this from coach k, colangelo, or even anyone on that olympic team. it just doesn't make sense to me a 19 yr old lebron would act so cocky, and i honestly don't believe it.

its also a good point why this came out so late, and nobody ever read anything to this effect when it happened. it would've been a big talking about, and at least 1 of the players would've anon talked about it to some reporter. just really hard to believe this, doesn't add up.

.. . ... . . . . ... . ... ..... .... ... .. . ... ... .. . . . .. . . .

[QUOTE=game3524]:roll:

And everyone said AI and Marbury were the cancers on the 2004 team.....[/QUOTE]


AI a cancer? Him and Duncan were the only high profile players to actually want to represent their country at the olympics. AI played his guts out and was easily our most consistent performer. So just remember while kobe and tmac vince shaq garnett kidd ray allen elton brand all said no AI said yes.

[QUOTE=Jordan-esque]More from the article:



Baby sitter Kidd.[/QUOTE]
:roll:

Why are Nuggets fans so obsessed with Kobe's nuts? Is it because he OWNS them year after year? Anytime they can't come up with a proper response, they bring up "Kobe ******gers". Not even one decent Nuggets fan on this forum...what a shame.

Anyways I think this article is full of shit. I've never heard anyone on team usa having an issue with Lebron. Interesting that they bring it up now...and not when it supposedly happened. Yahoo Sports sucks.

[QUOTE=jlitt]AI a cancer? Him and Duncan were the only high profile players to actually want to represent their country at the olympics. AI played his guts out and was easily our most consistent performer. So just remember while kobe and tmac vince shaq garnett kidd ray allen elton brand all said no AI said yes.[/QUOTE]

I know that, it is just funny how Iverson wasn't allowed to tryout for the 2008 team because he was a bad influence when the real jackass was Lebron James.:lol

[QUOTE=Andrei89]Why so insecure?:lol

Just trying to see your ongoing streak of mentioning kobe in every thread that ain't related to him

Why so insecure?[/QUOTE]

pretty sure the article mentioned Kobe.... that if they had Kobe, they would feel more comfortable dumping Lebron..or something like that.

[QUOTE=D-Rose]:roll:

That is one of the most asinine statements I have ever heard. Woj is one of the best NBA writers in the world and is highly respected by others in the media all around the league.

Get out of here with your BS just because Woj is rippin LeDiva a new one.[/QUOTE]
:oldlol: :oldlol: :oldlol: :oldlol: :oldlol: . Woj may be respected but he writes a lot more BS articles than factual articles.

[QUOTE=Poodle]whats pretty laughable about this article is he doesn't give any specifics. just generalizes how bad of an attitude lebron had, but i'd love to hear any confirmation of this from coach k, colangelo, or even anyone on that olympic team. it just doesn't make sense to me a 19 yr old lebron would act so cocky, and i honestly don't believe it.

its also a good point why this came out so late, and nobody ever read anything to this effect when it happened. it would've been a big talking about, and at least 1 of the players would've anon talked about it to some reporter. just really hard to believe this, doesn't add up.[/QUOTE]
My exact thoughts, hope someone from Team USA comes out to talk about this...

Those are some very vague statements. He was "demanding" and had a "bad attitude"? Became "tolerable" to teammates and coaches? OK :rolleyes:. Are they talking about the same player who has never had a teammate say a single negative word against him? Coach K also went out his way to proclaim LeBron the leader of Team USA in Beijing and couldn't stop gushing about him the entire tournament.

Woj IS respected, but anyone familiar with his history knows he has a serious axe to grind when it comes to LeBron. He's been obsessed with tearing the guy down for a very long time.

I think this cements my theory that LeBron ****ed Adrian Woj's mother and this is his way of getting back. Everything he writes about LeBron is childish and immature. This man has some serious hate.

I like most of what he says if it's not a Lebron article. He clearly can't keep his bias in check and has been writing about Lebron nonstop this summer. He needs to get laid.

Well we already knew this kid was like this, but why did it take this long to come out? Its like dog pile on LeBreezy now lol

:oldlol: What a load of BS.

[QUOTE=Batz]So they wait like 6 years to say this?[/QUOTE]

In 6 more years, I wouldn't be surprised if Lebron is seen as a cancer.

And here comes the Bron fanclub........

I'm starting to believe LeBron had an even bigger ego than Kobe Bryant as a teenager.

[QUOTE=bleedinpurpleTwo]why do I get the feeling that we are going to start seeing more "dirt" on Lebron.

I suppose the real insiders feel that they no longer have to protect his image?[/QUOTE]

Always happens sooner or later, the media turns. Next you will be hearing the random cheating and women stories pop up...