Does Lebron James hurt the integrity of basketball?

Question

First i will start by saying that i am a dedicated Pistons fan as I have been most of my life. So yes i may be a little biased or what not, but I am asking this question as an objective basketball fan. Do you think Lebron James or any other "superstar" hurts the integrity of the game of basketball. Lebron is a great player who only gets better year by year, but it is ridiculous how much he is allowed to get away with because of his "superstar status", and i believe that because of his special treatment he is allowed out there on the court, walks, fouls etc. I have one good example of this when a rebound came up, Tayshaun Prince was under the basket, Lebron was behind him, and Pavlovic was to Prince's right. Next thing Lebron pushes Prince to get the rebound right in front of the official, and Pavlovic got credited with the foul. See to me that is not right and, really makes this league a joke if they are not going to call the actual violations.

Please answer this question objectivley, no stupid answers like Lebron is god, or go clevland, or any stupid comments

I asked for intelligent answers please, not go cavs, cavs or awsome, lebron is king etc. And im not being a sore loser I am little frustrated yes, but I still have faith in the Pistons

I have already stated that i may be a little biased, and i can understand everyones opinon and i listen to them, but what I'm saying what hurts the integrity is not only lebron its all superstars. It is there special treatment, and i look into that overtime period where Webber got away with a walk and got an And-1 on the play, i knew that was a bad call, and we should of lost the game then. Yes Rasheed says some things and gets "Td" up, but he has cleanded himself up since joining. he just plays with a lot of emotion and shows it. And another thing that upsets me since we are talking about Rasheed, even though he complians loudly so does Lebron he thinks he is fouled on everything, he gets a wide open dunk and nobody touchs him and still wants a call, and im surprised the refs didnt give it to him

Answer 1

I'm not sure how old you are, but I witnessed Jordan's entire career from college to the Wizards. The exact same things were said about him. MJ took the game to another level. LB23 is doing the same thing, when basketball needs it most. You can take any given game and refs make the incorrect call. In game 2, Rasheed blatantly pushed Anderson 'don't call me Sanjaya' Verajao down before sinking the go ahead bucket and the refs didn't make the call. I understand the refs not making that call b/c it would've decided the outcome of the game in a major way. Stuff happens, bruh. Some calls get made and others don't.

Answer 2

There were calls that could have been made on both ends. There were at least four when Lebron went to the hoop and was fouled but there was not call. How can he be hurting the intergity of basketball when he is not the one making the calls? And I don't want to hear about a conspiracy to get Lebron in the finals. Plus when you are built like a football player, there is bound to be contact when you go to the hoop. If the refs called every little bump, the game would last ten hours.

P.S.:And I thought the Pistons were physical? Now they can't handle a 22 yr old kid?

Answer 3

First of all, I am a die-hard Cavaliers fan!!

Now that that is out of the way...Does LBJ get away with a few things? Absolutely! But how many times has he been the victim of a no call? Does game 2 ring a bell? How about last night on the game winner? He was fouled even then and he should have been at the line to try and go up by 3! He was fouled by Prince and Webber on another drive to the basket late in the game! Again...no call! And then he get's the Tech for getting in the face of McDyess! That was uncalled for! If he gets Teched then why does Maxiel not get it too? He came at LBJ and made contact! You see my point yet?

Whether you see it or not, Mr. Taco is correct! And you can stop whining and trying to make excuses any time now! Lebron is the kind of player that this league needs to be saved! Not Kobe...not 'Sheed...not D-Wade...King James!!

You really need to thank Marshall for missing the 3 in game 1...the officials for the no-call at the end of game 2...and pray to GOD that you only have to play us 1 more time this season! I'm sure you don't want THE KING to keep making your "Great Defense" look like a bunch of high schoolers on the court!

Go Lebron!!! Go Boobie, "Z", Sasha, Gooden, Marsh, Larry, Damon, E-Snow, Andy, and the rest of the CAVS!!!!

San Antonio better be ready!!! The CAVS are on a warpath and taking no prisoners!! Lebron is just warming up!!!

Answer 4

Stop your whining in game 2 the guy gets hacked and no fowl and the anouncers are saying he's not a give enough star to get the call. Yes stars get a break in this league the Lebron beat you last night on talent and heart. The refs didn't score any of those three point or deep 2 shots he hit time and time again to tie the game. Truth is the Cavs has outplayed the Pistons and this series should have been a sweep or at the very least over last night.

Answer 5

Actually, the Detroit Pisons general manager hurt the integrity of the Pistons by not keeping Ben Wallace. If Ben Wallace were on the Pistons, they would beat the Cavs in this series. He isn't, and they won't. Lebron gets calls, the Pistons get calls. Its' physical, the way the Pistons like it.
Chauncy Bilups body checked Verajo into the floor as Andy was sitting on the court- no call. Get over it, and guard James better.

Answer 6

Did you sleep through games 1 & 2? No fouls at all called on behalf of the "superstar" game one. And then hacked on the potential winning shot game two with no call. I think that just pi**ed him off enough that he's now playing up to where he should have been. Detroit has been given every opportunity to win this series and the Cavs have managed to defeat both the pistons and the officials. Last night was no exception.... how about wallace's "block" which was all arm on LeBron with no call. That would have ended the game in regulation! Shut up and take your loss like a grown up.

Answer 7

Perhaps you didn't see games 1 and 2, in which LeBron was mugged countless times down the stretch, but he wasn't able to get a whistle from the officials on fouls that anyone with eyes could easily see were fouls.

So, if anything, that was special treatment for the hometown Pistons.

Anyway, this series could have been a 4-game sweep. If the Cavaliers had held on towards the end of games 1 and 2, instead of wilting ( and not benefitting from foul calls that they deserved to benefit from ), this series would have been a 4-game sweep by Cleveland.

And not that I am trying to change the subject, but, why is it that when there are real jerks like Danny Fortson and Rasheed Wallace in the NBA, no one says anything, but when a guy with class like LeBron comes along, people want to critisize him? It's just jealousy.

And unfortunately, we will have to look forward to a new class of guys without class, like Jokim Noah.

Also, the fact that James wasn't awarded the first-team All NBA just reinforces the fact that often it's about a popularity contest, instead of skill and effectiveness.

Answer 8

"First i will start by saying that i am a dedicated Pistons fan as I have been most of my life."

You answered your question with that statement right there. This is about you being a Pistons fan, not about Lebron James supposedly hurting the integrity of basketball. Don't forget that we (I am a Pistons fan, too) have Rasheed Wallace on our team. That right there pretty much takes us out of any discussion about anyone hurting the integrity of the game. Now, if it were Wallace doing it, you wouldn't even have cared, and he does stuff like that all the time. The only reason you think the league is a joke is because we lost. That makes you a poor loser. The fact is that if the Pistons had brought their A-game to the last three games, they wouldn't be in this position in the first place. They have been cocky and lazy all playoffs, and now that they are up against a good team, it is costing them. They need to check their egos in at the door in game 6, or they are going home.

Answer 9

"First i will start by saying that i am a dedicated Pistons fan ...... but I am asking this question as an objective basketball fan"

Dude, that right there in messed up, do you agree? You are bashing Lebron, you are a Pistons fan, and you try to be "objective?" Are you kidding?


Did you see how Rasheed shoved Varajeo, and never got fouled? Did you see how James attacked the rim in the second game with Hamilton's hands all over him and never got a call?

Sometimes life isn't fair, but it isn't a reason to become a hater.

I always respected the Pistons, and always will. Pistons are the reason that Cavs are where they are today.


P.S. I really respect people like Mr. Taco.
There is usually no one to blame but yourself, but it is much easier to blame EVERYONE but yourself.

Answer 10

Yeah I'm a Pistons fan as well just like everybody else in here but what really pisses me off is that the Deeetroit Defense wasn't in in lat nights game I mean look at how man ytimes the Pistons tried to stop Lebron James form making baskets 0 they didn't give a $hit if Lebron Made it or not all they careda bout is there position of the ball and that really really hurt them because it was Lebron's shooting and Detroit's lack of Defense and blocking that gave us thate loss yesterday and whats worse than that is Detroit is going to Cleveland down 3-2 and we haven't won not 1 game in Cleveland since the series began and this time we don't have Ben Wallace to rescue us. You might be asking yourself Ben Wallace? Yes that's right Ben Wallace he was our D he wouldn't let Lebron go right through him he would at least try to block his shot if not block then get in his way or something not just stand there like Billups and hamilton did in the very final seconds of the 2nd OT and let Lebron Score at will. And then I forgot who inbounded the ball I think it was Prince anyways whoever it was gave the ball to the worst person why the hell would you give it to Billups he MISSED the shot he MISSESD the oppertunitty to tie the goddamn game WHAT THA FU*CK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Richard HAmilton should of gotten the ball not Billups, Chauncy Billups should of shotthe ball from the 3pt line so that the Pistons won the game and Detroit goes to Cleveland up 3 games to 2 instead of that Detriot has to go to Cleveland DOWN 3 games to 2 and face elimination IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THE DETRIOT PISTONS WILL NOT GO TO THE NBA FINALS THIS YEAR based on their performence in game 5.