Traina Thoughts: LeBron James Hot Takes Reach Rock Bottom

LeBron James coverage hits new low as he's taken to task over son's basketball game.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

1. You never know what the carnival barkers will pull out of their ass to get attention on the Internet and trend on Twitter, but bashing LeBron James for being a good father is a new one.

Yes, there are people who are actually ripping LeBron because he had the nerve to vociferously cheer at his son's recent AAU tournament game and then he joined his son's team in the dunk line. OH MY GOD, WHAT A PIECE OF GARBAGE!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by qwik11 hoops (@qwik11hoops)

Yes, LeBron is being accused of taking attention away from his son because he got exuberant at a basketball game. How dare he do something so sacrilege! Someone call child protective services now!

The fact is, LeBron will take attention away from every single person who is in the same place as him because he's one of the most famous people on the planet. If he didn't cheer hard enough, he'd get criticized. He cheers too much, he gets criticized. He can't win.

But this is not about LeBron James. Not even a little bit. Because if it were about LeBron James, the only take would be, "This guy shows up to his kid's game, is passionate about his son's success, gives his son, his teammates and everyone in attendance a thrill by throwing down some dunks and is flat-out being a supportive dad."

But, I repeat, this is not about LeBron James. This is about "the game." The game of saying the most ridiculous stuff possible that you don't even believe just because you are desperate for any attention possible. And when you need to do that, you go after the top dog. If any other player did what LeBron James did at his son's basketball game, there would be zero criticism. Zero.

But, the carnival barkers and their enablers know that, "Let's rip the best basketball player in the world for cheering his son" is so over the top and embarrassing that the masses will react and give them what they want.

Congrats on hitting a new low.

2. How do you make a rollercoaster even more terrifying? You have a bird fly in the face of the person already scared to death.

3. How on Earth is this still going on? My goodness, let it go already.

4. Noah Syndergaard really loves being a big part of the MLB trade deadline rumor mill.

In times when it feels like nobody wants you, at least I know I’ll always have the Hammer of Thor 🔨by my side @sskbaseballusa pic.twitter.com/UXHXci0VZ5

— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) July 29, 2019

🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/DX7avwDHL5

— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) July 29, 2019

5. Baker Mayfield showed Monday that he's still all about that In The Air Tonight drum solo, much to the delight of Browns fans.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cleveland Browns (@clevelandbrowns)

6. If you want even more coverage of the ESPN vs. Dan Le Batard saga, check out the latest SI Media Podcast wtih ;New York Post sports columnist Andrew Marchand. We went in-depth on the topic. What was Le Batard's biggest mistake? Why did ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro choose not to suspend Le Batard? What does Le Batard's future at ESPN look like? Should all sports shows have a "no politics talk" policy? We tackled all those questions and much more.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes, Spotify or Google Play.

7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: It was 37 years ago yesterday that Jerry "The King" Lawler slapped actor Andy Kaufman on Late Night with David Letterman. This was the really the first mainstream, "Is it a work or shoot?" angle in wrestling.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on iTunes, Spotify or Google Play. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.

IN CLOSING: If you are a Yankees fan, make sure you check out Tuesday night's Real Sports on HBO. The feature on John Sterling is excellent.