My book Real Role Models touches on the qualities of black role models
who aren't famous in order to help young black students understand what
qualities they should be looking for in the famous people they believe
are their role models. One of the chapters is dedicated to self-esteem
and this whole LeBronathon has me re-reading it.
2. He's 25 years old and still acting like a teenager trying to fit in. How else do you explain him listening to his "team" rather than genuinely seeking legitimate outside advice. Sure, he talked to the other teams, but he didn't talk to Kobe or Michael Jordan and I heard Kobe even talked to Wade and Bosh about their decisions. Sounds like LeBron is too insecure, possibly because of his lack of a father figure, to fully understand the value of honest and open perspective compared to simply relying on young friends to make your decisions or guide you into bad ones...as he did by joining Wade and Bosh once they signed with Miami and doing a TV program that was the single-worst PR play I've seen in sports history.
This is all very sad because LeBron is someone who is in a position to be a role model to millions of young black kids who are also fatherless and yet he's shown to us that the foundation he's built for himself to actually become a real role model someday isn't that stable. And without a stable foundation, the lack of self esteem is hard to mask even if you are the greatest athlete to play basketball.
I've read tons and tons on this LeBron thing and I have two final points to make (for now).
1. His lack of a father figure is huge in shaping the person he is today, which is unfortunate. As someone who grew up without a father, I can fully relate to the desire to compensate by relying more so on friendships - which LeBron did in middle school and continues to do today - but that doesn't at all justify his lack of self awareness of point #2.2. He's 25 years old and still acting like a teenager trying to fit in. How else do you explain him listening to his "team" rather than genuinely seeking legitimate outside advice. Sure, he talked to the other teams, but he didn't talk to Kobe or Michael Jordan and I heard Kobe even talked to Wade and Bosh about their decisions. Sounds like LeBron is too insecure, possibly because of his lack of a father figure, to fully understand the value of honest and open perspective compared to simply relying on young friends to make your decisions or guide you into bad ones...as he did by joining Wade and Bosh once they signed with Miami and doing a TV program that was the single-worst PR play I've seen in sports history.
This is all very sad because LeBron is someone who is in a position to be a role model to millions of young black kids who are also fatherless and yet he's shown to us that the foundation he's built for himself to actually become a real role model someday isn't that stable. And without a stable foundation, the lack of self esteem is hard to mask even if you are the greatest athlete to play basketball.
Learn more about Real Role Models here.
He's 25 years old, but his recent moves are rather immature.
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