LeBron James, Twitter and the Cleveland Cavaliers combine for the perfect storm of controversy.
Silly controversy, but controversy.
Anything LeBron does gets attention, so folks know his early March Twitter escapades will continue to come up in headlines. For those who missed out, LeBron offered these strange nuggets on social media:
Can’t replace being around great friends that reciprocate the same energy back to you in all facets of life
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 3, 2016
It’s ok to know you’ve made a mistake. Cause we all do at times. Just be ready to live with whatever that comes with it and be with….. — LeBron James (@KingJames) March 1, 2016
those who will protect you at all cost!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 1, 2016
Yes, those happened quite a long time ago, especially in an era when the news cycle kills something off in a few days as the globe’s attention turns to something else. But this is LeBron, the guy with a ridiculous 28.8 million followers on the social media platform. So yes, the odd messages he posted, which could get construed as shots at his own teammates, still have legs.
ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin recently broke down when the tweets occurred, which puts things into a pretty interesting light:
Timing is everything in life, and James’ tweet-a-tat-tat came at a time when the Cavs lost three of four games, were turned down by Joe Johnson in their pursuit of him, remarks were made by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith about Irving’s unhappiness and later about James’ prerogative to skip town once again if he starts to feel taken for granted.
So there it is. Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers haven’t heard the last of the topic just yet, and Irving himself had to chat with McMenamin about the comments:
I don’t really check Twitter for people’s comments or what they’re saying or anything like that. I didn’t think it was directed toward me at all. I know everybody made a big deal about it and then I tweet and then all of the sudden it’s a subtle beef between me and Bron. No, I don’t think Bron tweets for me and I don’t think I tweet for LeBron.
Even if there were issues in Cleveland, few would come outright and say it (which again, makes the tweets interesting). The Cavaliers are just 6-4 over their last 10 games. The Toronto Raptors are just a few games back in the Eastern Conference. LeBron and Co. just took an ugly road loss Monday, going down at the hands of the Utah Jazz in 94-85 fashion.
So no, questions about the tweets and team chemistry won’t just die. Cleveland, by way of its play, has earned the attention. Its players, by way of their comments and actions on social media, have earned it too.
Keep an eye on the Cavaliers, who hit the road in two of three games through this weekend. And goodness, keep refreshing those twitter feeds.