“Revenge Season” means many things. It just depends on how you see it.
“Revenge Season” will have three different meanings. LeBron has a definition. His fans and apologists have a definition and the NBA media itself has one. Let’s start with the man of the hour.
LeBron James:
It has been noted on Lake Show Life numerous times, that LeBron James is not the best player in the NBA. It’s not hate, it’s just the honest truth. Father Time hasn’t lost a bout yet in any sport that anyone has heard of. Despite James putting up the best fight of any athlete in recent history, this season will see if he finally succumbs like everyone else.
He may not be the King of the hardwood anymore, but he is the most powerful. Period. It’s not even close. James is notoriously passive-aggressive which has been looked over for years because of his undeniable talents. When the talents start to erode, so does the tolerance of bad habits.
For years, “The King” has indirectly (and allegedly!) bullied on players, killed coaches’ careers, challenged front offices and owners who dared to defy his method of getting championship rings. Maybe that’s why David Griffin’s interview with SI caused so much of a media firestorm this past summer.
Something about being miserable building around LeBron James?
Well, that brought out a “statement”.
Alright alright. Enough is enough. The throne has been played with to much and I ain’t for horseplay. Ether coming soon! 😁🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👑 #JamesGang✊🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 1, 2019
Now he has to live up to it. No injuries, no roster excuses or front office mistakes will hide James from unprecedented criticism if the Lakers don’t make the conference finals at least.
NBA media:
LeBron James is so big to the NBA media, he will probably keep Kevin Durant relevant this year. No, not because of his Achilles, but the phrase that pays from last year told to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report.
"“So much hype comes from being around LeBron from other people,” Durant said. “He has so many fanboys in the media. Even the beat writers just fawn over him. I’m like, we’re playing basketball here, and it’s not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn’t want to be in that environment because it’s toxic. Especially when the attention is bulls— attention, fluff. It’s not LeBron’s fault at all; it’s just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every word. Just get out-of-the-way and let us play basketball.”"
Pfft. Good luck with that.
https://twitter.com/SLAMonline/status/1170832145369055238
Let’s take a look at the video again, shall we? It’s from Klutch Sports Group. A company run by James’ best friend Rich Paul. The same guy that was targeted by the NCAA and took a serious PR shot when LeBron got involved. Coincidence? More on that later.
Name any other sports athlete ever that uses social media so effectively? Look, Taco Tuesday made a comeback as a national phenomenon because of this guy, with the smarts to cash in and try to trademark it.
Jason Whitlock tried to gain ratings for his FS1 show by criticizing LeBron’s actions at an AAU game! ESPN has a studio across from the Staples Center. They used the UCLA Health Training Center as the venue to broadcast The Jump on Lakers’ media day. Coincidence?
LeBron James’ fanbase:
They will defend the narratives stated above, plus, excuse the narratives of load management this season. They will argue (vehemently!) that he needs to conserve his energy on the defensive end during meaningless regular-season contests (What is this? The Big 3?).
They will ignore the decline in his lateral quickness (Trae Young nutmegged him twice in the same game before the All-Star break!). Finally, they will pull out every stat since 2003 with video to back it up.
In short “Revenge Season” is a marketing machine that dares anyone to be first to state LeBron James is on the downside of his career.