LeBron gets dunked on, Nike confiscates video evidence

[G-spec]

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.


source http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/31807581/ns/sports-nba/


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 $$$$$ and arrogance.

I’ll give Nike this and only this: When LeBron called for help, Nike’s guy on the ground Just Did It.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCPKKHmzNU

[G-spec]

the first breaking of the story below

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/31804751/ns/sports-nba/

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


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J63aAGZjrVo

[pandalove]

lawlz crawford plays hockey silly ^^

[m4k4v4li]

HAHAHAHHA the interview is so fucking retarded
guy sounds like hes half brain dead

not only that its just a fuckin dunk the interviewer is trying to make it sound like a life changing experience

[G-spec]

^ yea the guy is actually known to smoke pot on occasion on his campus from some other interviews I read.... that's probably why he sounds braindead

but if you think about it, in a world where YouTube can make you a millionaire, dunking on the king would have made this nobody definitely a somebody

[misteranswer]

Last time I checked Gibson still played for the Cavs, never was a full time starter, and sucked more than Mo Williams so I don't see how you can say he sold him out.

[hotjoint]

I wanna see the tape!

[Sid Vicious]

if the guy who dunked over lebron was better than lebron, maybe hed be making more money than him

[WHEYsted]

^ LOL. How appropriate.

[411ken]

Haha, he just crowned the king... I also like the fact that a kid named Jordan dunked on him..

But other than that. this shouldn't even make the news..who cares! he is human as ppl forget.. what's next? someone posterizes LBJ?

[invader]

lol i heard this on the radio

Cant wait for the video to be leaked

or used in a commerical

[asahai69]

Kobe > Lebron

[fullyentranced]

Originally Posted by asahai69

Kobe > Lebron

x2

[n1smo]

ughh doesnt matter lebron has many posters probabbly will poster jordan crawford

[Ilagon]

First thing I thought of was this commercial for LeBron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVWFtrXr2Is

Maybe Nike can spin it off that this guy is trying to be better than LeBron.

[Benz_05TSX]

^ Hahaha...someone should edit that video and put a guy jump over Lebron and dunks it!! hahahah

He's too damn rich to care

[Not really racist!]

Stopped liking Lebron after his classless exit after the Cavs lost to the Magic in the Eastern Finals

[JSALES]

i just wanna see the video

[ilvtofu]

What does being dunked on mean?...

[1337]

Originally Posted by fullyentranced

x2

and where was kobe at lebrons age?

Arguably Lebron isn't even at his peak, lets wait and see when he's fully developed.

[jmvdesign]

Originally Posted by 1337

and where was kobe at lebrons age?

Arguably Lebron isn't even at his peak, lets wait and see when he's fully developed.

kobe won his first championship when he was 22. he won 2 more after that (with shaq of course). we'll see how lebron sizes up next year when he has shaq around this time.

[G-spec]

as for the dunk, there's no way it can be any worse than this one right here by Courtney Lee, so I dont understand why they confiscated the tapes... Even Jordan Crawford said, Lebron didnt really try to block or get in the way, he sort of flew past him exactly like you see in the you tube clips below, if you watch Lebron was actually trying to block Courtney on this one and this is already public.... I guess because this Jordan Crawford guy is a nobody, and dunking on Lebron at his own camp is a lot worse than a good NBA player.



http://www.youtube.com/v/DC-iWaDlNOI&hl

http://www.youtube.com/v/zLNPDKNoyho&hl

[MDMA]

lebron is the king he can do w/e he wants

[g604]

[Vansterdam]

Originally Posted by Sid Vicious

if the guy who dunked over lebron was better than lebron, maybe hed be making more money than him

+1