Here’s one idea. Try to find a better way to rebuild your image. Because the failed attempts are becoming more laughable by the day.
LeBron James stumbled into yet another public relations disaster on Monday night, comparing himself to NFL quarterback Brett Favre in an interview before the Miami Heat took on the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Brett [had] great years here in Green Bay,” James said Monday, according to The Associated Press. “Any time a great competitor like that leaves, no one wants to see that, but [the Packers] done a great job of regrouping with Aaron Rodgers, and I believe that Cleveland will do the same.”
Nice touch. Comparing yourself to a “great competitor” is always the best icing on the cake after you’ve made a condescending statement about the team you abandoned.
A few things are clear. We know James did a poor job handling his exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, we know he’s too stubborn to apologize for it and we know the cloud of controversy around James is unlikely to clear up anytime soon. But if James wants to rehabilitate his reputation anytime soon, he should probably try comparing himself to someone less controversial, more likable.
The Heat forward also compared himself to Randy Moss last month, lashing out at the media and saying “you kind of understand sometimes what Moss is talking about” with respect to dodging reporters’ questions. He alludes to Charles Barkley in his now-infamous “What Should I Do?” commercial, with a winking “Hi, Chuck!” as he claims that athletes aren’t role models.
Moss is known as a locker-room distraction, ruining his run with the Patriots by disrupting Bill Belichick‘s regimen. Barkley picked fights with players, spat on a fan and sparked a national controversy with his claim that “a million guys can dunk a basketball in jail.” And these are the guys James latches onto in his time of need?
The Beatles committed PR suicide in 1966 by calling themselves “more popular than Jesus.” But in John Lennon‘s defense, at least Jesus had a high Q score.
If LeBron James wants to win America’s hearts back, he should try relating to the good guys in sports. Find a dedicated family man, a respected leader, a quality teammate, a consummate winner. Find someone worth emulating. Charles Barkley doesn’t think athletes are role models, but maybe LeBron should find a way to prove him wrong.
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