James has gotten special attention from the media

The whole sports community has had different reactions to the news of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry's death. Most have had the decent courtesy to respect Chris Henry as a person, and loving father of three. But some have referred to him as "just another thug."Whatever the circumstances are surrounding his dispute and death with fiancee Loleini Tonga, nothing takes away from the fact that a man lost his life and left behind a huge family, including his immediate family and the whole team of theCincinnati Bengals.The NFL has seen this before.Just over two years ago, Redskins safety Sean Taylor died after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. It was later discovered that Taylor's murder was a random home robbery that went wrong.Both Sean Taylor and Chris Henry had troubled pasts.But they were doing the very best they could to re-model their lives in the best interest of their kids and fiancee. They re-dedicated themselves to the game they loved to play, and both organizations realized that. It is just a shame that the rest of the community couldn't see it.Luckily for Taylor and Henry, they are in a better place, no longer judged and hated on for their past They will be able to look down and protect their family. I personally wish the best to Chris Henry and his family and friends. .

A boy is crowned the once and future king despite having never won a championship. Another is lauded as the ultimate player and the greatest of the game, while team members scoff, laugh, and silently judge.Others are viewed as affable, gentle, giants even as they burn bridges, smiling all the way to the forgiving arms of a new market and new fans to disappoint.And some are elevated beyond the greatness of the game: They have the dubious distinction of being a part of social and racial symbolism that they never even wanted.Of course, I’m referring some of the greats of the game of an era, and, in the scheme of basketball, they are.And that’s where it should end.But it doesn’t. It never has, and from the looks of things, never will.We are subjected to half-truths inflated to the status of mythical proportions being subjected to the narratives of sportswriters, ESPN, Nike, Converse, Gatorade, Vitamin Water. All of which distort the reality of the people that we idolize on television.In part one of this series, I choose to focus on the current personality that dominates the NBA. And that man is …LeBron JamesThe King sits upon on a throne of media created hype, of a future promise of greatness yet to be delivered.

He’s hosted the ESPY’S, Saturday Night Live, countless endorsements, two successful ad campaigns with the LeBron/Kobe puppets and his “The LeBrons” commercial series that had him mimicking Eddie Murphy more than Magic Johnson.But the road to the media monstrosity that we now know as LeBron James was a long one. Unable to cope with LeBron’s mediocrity, (and when referencing ‘mediocrity’ I mean this a purely superstar perspective; by any other account James is a phenomenal player, just not the undisputed “King” of the NBA) it was now time to look outward.Deflecting the criticism away from himself and his notoriously selfish play when it mattered, LeBron and the rest of Cleveland turned on then coach, Paul Silas and GM Jim Paxson, trading them in for Mike Brown and Danny Ferry in 2005. In some ways, LeBron is less of a reflection of himself as an entity, but rather the unexpected byproduct the entirety of ESPN culture.He’s a horrible sport, as he refused to shake hands with the Orlando Magic after being defeated in the 2008-2009 playoffs.Later during a press conference (while wearing a New York Yankees cap, no less) declared that he was, “a winner.”Apparently shaking hands after a loss is not something a “winner” does But it is something that a decent human being does. More recently his Riverdancing during a Chicago win at home finally proves one thing is clear regarding LBJ. Sportsmanship or humility is not something that he cares about.His whining about calls, and the fact that he gets calls himself most notably his now infamous first playoff win, that, during the final seconds of the game, hit a buzzer beater on what was obviously a travel further illustrates just how childish and mentally unprepared LeBron James really is.James has gotten special attention from the media. He was touted as one of the next greats coming out of Tennessee, and yet, the majority of the media surrounding him prior to the 2006 season was whether or not he will win a ring. Ever.For one of the greatest quarterbacks of an era, a ring was never guaranteed in the eyes of the media.LeBron James has never, never , been asked if he will win a ring It’s already assumed. According to the media blitz, championships are a given for him. At this point, people only view it as a matter of time.What other player in the history of the sport, or any sport for that matter, has been granted so much leeway without ever having done anything significant in the confines of the sportHis most notable game of his career is Game 5 of the Eastern Finals against the Pistons where he scored all 25 points in double-overtime for his team and swung momentum back in Cleveland’s favor.Yes, this game was amazing; of all the games I’ve watched in the last few years that weren’t Orlando Magic games, Game 5 of the 2007 playoffs is probably the most memorable on a personal level That game was showcasing greatness. But that is it.