Lebron's World - The Rest Of Us Are Just Living In It

In the copycat society we live in, I can't say I'm shocked at what I've witnessed in the NBA in recent years. But I am disappointed.

This past weekend's All-Star festivities were just another reminder of why I don't watch basketball anymore. The so called 'savior' of the game, LeBron James, is the sole reason I won't watch the NBA no matter what the circumstances are. Now, if I happen to be at a bar that has it on I might cast an interested eye toward it, or if I'm watching SportsCenter I won't change the channel just because he's on, but it's getting closer to that.

On Saturday night, during what was a rather entertaining Slam Dunk competition that featured polar opposites in Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson, LeBron decides to get the cameras on him by mentioning he 'might' consider competing in next year's dunk contest.

Taking it further, he called for the Western Conference to stand down in the final ten seconds of the All-Star game while he performed a ridiculous jam by lobbing the ball off the backboard to himself before slamming it through the cylinder. Exhibition game or not, you don't ask for a free lane to the basket in order to look good, do it in competition and we'll talk. As an aside I must thank LeBron because I took the Over at 264 and his dunk made the total combined score 265 but I digress.

Why does he feel the need to make everything about him?

There are superstars everywhere in this league, yet LeBron constantly shines the spotlight on himself. Earlier in the year, he began commenting on his impending free agency, which I might remind you doesn't occur until after the 2009-10 season. He said he doesn't know if he'll re-sign with the Cavs and that it has been a dream of his to play in New York. He further evidenced this by slapping hands with partial New Jersey Nets owner and rap mogul Jay-Z who regularly sits court side at Nets and Knicks games. Jay-Z has made no secret of his intentions to move the Nets to Brooklyn and sign James as their superstar.

Even before games he tries to make a spectacle of himself. He pours an extravagant amount of talcum powder into his hands before sending it skyward in a cloud of dust. Where could he possibly get this idea from? Could it be Kevin Garnett, one of the original high school defectors who paved the way for LeBron and so many others. KG has been doing the talcum cloud since his early days in Minnesota.

LeBron needs to come up with his own gimmick and start establishing himself as someone who is unique. Did Michael Jordan ever make things about himself? The answer, as we all know is no. MJ left during the pinnacle of his career to explore other endeavors. He didn't need to prove anything to anyone, regardless of how much he disappointed fans. Jordan won six NBA titles in his career largely because he made everyone around him better. How did LeBron fare in his only trip to the Finals so far? Swept at the hands of another selfless and team oriented MVP, Tim Duncan.

If you've ever watched a Cavs game, you will see LeBron cry that he was fouled every time he drives to the hoop. He does get hacked fairly hard but that doesn't mean you need to lobby for the call every time. Superstars generally get all the calls, but LeBron's crybaby rants are getting old and deterring officials from listening when he has a legitimate gripe. James is still young and can restructure his image but it's got to start by letting go of the limelight. Until then, he will never achieve the legendary status he thinks he has.