2012 NBA Playoffs: LeBron James And The Mother Of All Flops
You know it is the NBA playoffs when players are flopping left and right AND getting the call. LeBron James has seriously got to be joking.
And…
I am all about James getting a ring and the Miami Heat winning a championship. They beat the system two summers ago which should allow them to hoist the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy at least once, but please, do it with a little dignity.
First video: Was their contact? Yes. Did J.R. Smith use any such force that could move a man the size of James out of bounds as quickly as he supposedly did? This is another joke, right? You know it is bad when the commentators are speechless and Mike Breen is trying to hold back his laughter. The Heat fans sitting courtside might have sold it better than James did.
Second video: *Sigh* was it a foul? Yes. Tyson Chandler set a screen and basically jumped into an unsuspecting James. When James was hit he was clearly knocked forwards due to the legitimacy of the force used by Chandler, however, the extra flare with his arms flailing is absolutely ridiculous. Not to mention, James really sells it when he gets up off the ground and stumbles around as if he in severe pain. Someone get this guy a role in a movie, seriously, because that acting cannot be taught.
The referees initially called Chandler’s foul a flagrant two, which allowed them to go to the video monitor and watch a replay of the incident to determine the severity of the foul.
Meanwhile, commentators Jeff Van Gundy and Breen discuss the absurdity of what unfolded in front of them.
Van Gundy: That’s a flagrant? What kind of league are we becoming if that’s a flagrant foul?
Breen: That’s a hard shot but I don’t think it’s a flagrant.
Van Gundy: It’s not a shot! He’s not expecting it to be screened, it’s not because of what Chandler did was so flagrant. You can’t adjust to the reaction.
Van Gundy: Pat Riley is rolling around in his seat if he thinks this is a flagrant foul. He saw harder hits in practices in Miami then this.
Breen: (James) was as clearly shaken up by the head snap but it was more because he wasn’t expecting it. (To Van Gundy) Are you okay?
Van Gundy: I… I… I am really dumfounded by this. So he flops at one end out of bounds and gets the call. Then he, maybe it was legitimately, or maybe he just knows how to do it now where he acts hurt and then he knows he’s going to get the call so now he shoots two more free throws and gets the ball.
Breen: Well, I don’t think he’s feigning hurt. It looked like he was really shaken up.
Van Gundy: Well, he’s come back very strongly I would say.
Van Gundy was clearly fired up about what he had to witness. James is better than this, he should not have to fall out of bounds or overreact to a foul to get a few extra opportunities at the free throw line. He can take over ball games without even trying and he can hit any shot on the court whenever he feels like it. Hopefully, he understands this and will get back to playing basketball in Game 2.
Related Articles:
ESPN’s Sarah Phillips Running LeBron James Joke Contest
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @MichaelTerrill
