LeBron James' move to Los Angeles has been mired as a questionable choice. Wearing the purple-and-gold, a jersey that was worn by one of the Lakers' best not too long ago, as Kobe Bryant donned the iconic No. 24 and said goodbye to Staples Center with a 60-point requiem in front of a sold-out crowd, giving him perhaps the greatest of exit from the NBA hardwood.
Yet James' move to L.A. has been rumored to be anything but a basketball move — cited as a reason to be close to family, his brand, his business, and his destination of choice based on the lifestyle he's bound to command during his life after basketball.
Perception is rather tricky with The King, one who previously announced his departure from Cleveland on national TV, only to face the onslaught of criticism that would ensue as he bolted for the Miami Heat.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, that same criticism is one he fights on the daily, whether he is on or off the court.
“On one hand, James doesn't much care about how his path is perceived. After a tough first season in Miami, James posted in his locker a guiding quote from a Theodore Roosevelt speech in Paris in 1910. The “Man in the Arena” passage refers to rising above critics,” wrote Windhorst. “James often will write “Man in the Arena” on his shoes for games as another reminder to himself.
On the other hand, James is sensitive to how he will be remembered. The reason he needs to constantly remind himself to ignore criticism is the same reason he watches playoff games on mute on his off nights. He doesn't want to hear what he knows is going on: people picking at him.”
James has been at the middle of many scrutinies throughout his career, and that isn't bound to stop now at 33 years of age, with an unforeseen fountain of youth that allowed him to play all 82 games in the regular season and trot out a total of 104 games played, including the postseason.
The only question that remains is how he'll be able to handle it with a crowd of mixed feelings in his new home.
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