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LeBron gets dunked on, Nike confiscates video evidence
I stopped liking Lebron last year when he sold out someone he called a "brother" (Daniel Gibson) when the Cavs acquired a better shooter and slightly better scorer in Mo Williams whom Lebron made his "new best friend". I've played basketball my whole life so the concept of brotherhood on a team isn't something you sell out on, in any case the story below reveals a little bit more behind the Basketball God image of Lebron, I've highlighted in bold the interesting part.
By Mike Celizic
NBCSports.com contributor
updated 6:22 p.m. PT, Wed., July 8, 2009
Xavier's Jordan Crawford threw down a two-handed slam over LeBron James during a pickup game at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron on Monday night. Then the fun really started.
Because there’s video of the event — but it remains to be seen whether you’ll get to watch it. That’s because after the kid went over LeBron, Nike stole the tapes.
A Nike representative said they confiscated the two tapes because they were being shot without authorization. That’s so wrong. One of the cameramen said he had been shooting all day and no one had complained until after LeBron was dunked on and he spoke with a Nike official, and that official took the tapes. So clearly, neither Nike nor LeBron had any problem with two cameramen shooting the proceedings until Crawford had his magic moment.
The story broke all over the Internet on Wednesday afternoon, and then two guys on ESPN, Dan Le Batard and J.A. Adande, defended Nike, of all things. Adande said if the video got out, it would be bad for LeBron's image, and Le Batard said because the video isn't on YouTube, it's as if it didn't happen.
So much for journalists standing up for the little guys. Instead, these guys are holding down the nerd while the bullies take his lunch money.
One of the people whose tape was confiscated was Ryan Miller, a 22-year-old freelance cameraman who had spent an entire day shooting the activity at the LeBron James Skills Academy for ESPNU.
This is Miller’s livelihood, and although he's getting some money from Ben Howland at UCLA, he probably doesn’t get paid in a year what LeBron makes before breakfast every day. But when Crawford went over LeBron and threw one down two-handed, LeBron called over his Nike myrmidon, Lynn Merrit (whose official title is Nike basketball senior director).
Next thing Miller knew, Merritt confiscated the videotapes from Miller and another man. And Miller, who apparently thought that an order from Nike is like an order from Homeland Security, handed it over instead of calling 911 and letting the cops have the camera to preserve the evidence.
Miller said that Merritt invented on the spot a rule prohibiting filming those parts of the workout — apparently the footage in which LeBron is embarrassed.
Poor Miller. He worked all day for this footage. He had shots that were going to light up YouTube. He might have gotten a full-time job out of it. At the very least, he’d get a day’s freelance fee.
And Merritt took it all — not just Crawford’s big moment but everything Miller had shot all day. He stole Miller’s work so that Nike’s rich spokesman wouldn’t be embarrassed.
LeBron usually appears to be a good guy. But when you hang around people like Nike’s toadies, you start to believe the crap they feed you every day. LeBron didn’t shake hands after losing the Eastern Conference finals to the Orlando Magic. Now he’s apparently stealing a man’s work because he wants to protect his image.
Well, LeBron's image is now that of an all-world jerk. If he’d let the tape go, it would have become a sensation, every media outlet in the world would have come to his door to talk about it. All he had to do was laugh and be gracious and congratulate the kid. He’d have grown in stature instead of shrinking.
The behavior of Nike and LeBron is reprehensible. It’s arrogant and disgusting. As The New York Times observed, they’re working from the North Korea school of public relations. (The Times called Nike seeking comment on the incident. Nike declined to comment. They probably need another day or two to decide how best to spin this to their advantage.)
I don’t have to guess that a lot of you will defend Nike and LeBron. LeBatard and Adande are already on board, because LeBron makes commercials for the network and Nike pours money into ESPN, which doesn’t have the professional integrity of a street prostitute.
It’s smart to take the tape? If the tape doesn’t exist, neither does the dunk? Are you guys serious? How in the name of H.L. Mencken, Red Smith, Jim Murray, Dave Anderson, Bob Ryan and Michael Wilbon do you have the effrontery to call yourselves journalists?
Nike was the Greek god of victory. That’s what the word means: victory.
Not anymore. Now it means greed and arrogance.
I’ll give Nike this and only this: When LeBron called for help, Nike’s guy on the ground Just Did It.
AKRON - What happens at LeBron’s camp stays at LeBron’s camp.
A minor controversy erupted at the LeBron James Skills Academy on Monday night when two videographers recorded a pickup game in which Xavier’s Jordan Crawford dunked on James.
Gary Parrish reported on CBSSports.com that a Nike representative confiscated tapes of the dunk after conferring with James.
A representative with Nike, which runs the camp at the University of Akron in James’ hometown, made no mention of Crawford’s dunk. He said the tapes were confiscated because videotaping of after-hours pickup games at the camp is not allowed.
“Nike has been operating basketball camps for the benefit of young athletes for decades and has long-standing policies as to what events are open and closed to media coverage. Unfortunately, for the first time in four years, two journalists did not respect our no videotaping policy at an after-hours pickup game following the LeBron James Skills Academy,” said Nike spokesman Derek Kent on Wednesday.
A spokesman for James said he had no comment.
The camp features 80 top basketball prospects from around the nation.
Crawford said his dunk happened in the first 20 minutes of a game that lasted about two hours and did not prompt any reaction from James
And Nike thinks this story is good for LeBron? Nice sportsmanship, LB. Whatever happened to laughing it off, or even just pulling a Kobe and doing it over and over again until he beat the other guy?
I stopped liking Lebron last year when he sold out someone he called a "brother" (Daniel Gibson) when the Cavs acquired a better shooter and slightly better scorer in Mo Williams whom Lebron made his "new best friend". I've played basketball my whole life so the concept of brotherhood on a team isn't something you sell out on, in any case the story below reveals a little bit more behind the Basketball God image of Lebron, I've highlighted in bold the interesting part.
Have you been playing basketball in the NBA? Pretty sh!tty reason not to like a pro baller. I mean seriously, if you're a franchise player surrounded by scrubs... 1) While they are on your team you're going to try to make it work, on and off the court. Forming relationships is inevitable. 2) If someone can come on the team to make it better and offer a better chance to get a ring, then you go for it. This is true of all professional sports, you do the best you can to put yourself in a winning situation. People change teams all the time because of this. This isn't elementary school recess basketball where you pick your best friend first even though he sucks.
Dude, I've never liked LeBronze. I always thought Prince James was to celebrated without really accomplishing anything yet. People act as if this man was already won 4 rings or something.
Dude, I've never liked LeBronze. I always thought Prince James was to celebrated without really accomplishing anything yet. People act as if this man was already won 4 rings or something.
Right, he hasnt really done anything yet but sell products for Nike.
So if Lebron pulled some kind of massive Vince Carter type dunk where he leaped over a 7 footer or something, this wouldn't be an issue would it? Hell, that footage would probably end up in the next Lebron/Nike ad.
Somebody tell these press/camera people to keep blank digi cards in their palms/pockets/whatever when they shoot. Do the switcheroo! (I watch too much TV).
Yeah. They (being Nike/Lebron) are being babies; they should have let the kid have his moment.
That being said, this is such a non-story. I mean really? Pick-up games are newsworthy now? So let me get this straight, one or two reporters try to film something, a Nike rep says you can't and confiscates the tapes, and one of the reporters said "OMG I SAW LEBRON TALKING TO NIKE_HENCHMAN_01 RIGHT B4 THEY TOOK MY TAPE I THINK HE TOLD HIM TO TAKE IT!". I mean, has anyone actually disproven Nike's claim that these pickup games are typically not taped? Because I don't really see Nike Lebron-Camp Summer League pick up game videos on youtube and I haven't seen anyone and say "Nike is full of $***, we tape these games all the time"...
I know this is typically no-mans land in terms of sport, NFL hasn't started, basketball is already over, and the most exciting thing on ESPN is the Espy's, but is this the best we really have going on? The UFC is having a big weekend, they should start covering that more.
I do believe Nike had a policy, I guess the question is did they choose to enforce it after an embarrassed LBJ pointed out the camera people? Were they taping the whole time w/o any objections, up until the "incident"?
You are right its a stretch for a story. I like the one blog someone posted where the guy accurately points out that the story just grows and the dunk can become legendary because of this perceived overreaction on Nike/LBJ's part. Nothing but eyewitness accounts. The dunk is mythical.
Last edited by All SmileZ; 07-10-2009 at 02:29 PM.
I mean this video is the least of his worries. I mean at least he got dunked on by a basketball player. The video of him losing to horse to some random guy is much more embarassing
LeBron gets dunked on, Nike confiscates video evidence
