“This generation of kids, they saw LeBron take his talents to Miami…They wanna be on a super team” – College football asst. coach holds LeBron James responsible for players joining super teams at an early age
A college football coach recently blamed LeBron James for players wanting to join a super team at an early stage. Ever since LeBron took to national TV and declared his intentions to take his talents to South Beach in 2010, he has received criticism. The move shook the NBA to its core and started the ''Big Three'' era.
While many understood it wasn't the first time several All-Star level players joined forces, others acted as though James committed high treason.
NBA fans will remember James being accused of 'ruining basketball' with some fans going so far as to discredit his accomplishments. Over the years, the heat has undoubtedly died down, and fans in Cleveland have moved on given that James returned and won them a championship. Apparently, one college football coach in Oregon is still feeling the effects over a decade later.
University of Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was quoted in a Sports Illustrated article, saying:
“This generation of kids, they saw LeBron take his talents to Miami. They wanna be on a super team.”
Although Dillingham may not have intended to, his comments generated interest in the topic of schools making money off college athletes. As fans pointed out, with athletes not seeing their share of profits, they have no reason to be loyal to a school.
Fans were quick to slam Dillingham in the comments for his statement regarding James. Unsurprisingly, fans pointed to several instances that proved the Miami Heat's ''Big Three'' era wasn't as dominant as everyone expected.
LeBron James, Miami Heat & the "Big Three" era
In their first season together, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh posted an impressive 58-24 record en route to a Finals appearance. Despite that, the team couldn't put things together when it counted. Over the course of a 6 game series, they lost to a seemingly unstoppable Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
The loss marked a period of uncertainty that saw Lebron James field widespread criticism for an alleged inability to perform in clutch time. The following season, however, the team put it all together and won their first championship. By the time the Heat's "Big Three" split, their finals record was 2-2.
Many new basketball fans would be surprised to see LeBron James getting criticized for something that happened 12 years ago. Fortunately, him joining the Heat being blamed as the reason for what college football players are doing, has left some in the NBA community scratching their heads.