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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has probably heard and read it all by now. Throughout his lengthy NBA career which so far spans 18 years, three franchises, and four championship runs, James has faced all sorts of ridicule and criticism.
As he enters his second playoff run with the Lakers and 15th overall, James put out a strongly-worded message to his critics on Instagram in an attempt to drown out the noise.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
“THE MAN IN THE ARENA” 🏟 #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾 #JamesGang👑 #SFG🚀 P.S. There’s nothing like being a Laker! 💜💛
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The beautiful speech quoted by the Lakers star was aptly entitled “The Man in the Arena” and was spoken to life by former President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. He had recited this exact passage in a speech delivered at the Sorbonne in the Grand Amphitheater at the University of Paris.
Although more than a century old, its message certainly still rings true, despite being under the guise of a much different setting.
LeBron James and his Lakers are in a quest for their second championship in two seasons. Despite the constant outside chatter surrounding their squad's uphill climb, The King marches on.
