"Hot take hate simply sells" - LeBron James claps back at Tom Brady doubters
When you're the most accomplished athlete of your generation, such as Tom Brady and LeBron James, you have respect for one another. James has been at the top of the NBA since 2003, while Brady has won seven Super Bowls since the 2001-02 season.
As Brady's MVP-worthy campaign comes to a close, James took to Instagram Monday to voice his respect for the legendary quarterback. He posted a clip of sports analyst Max Kellerman in 2016, saying Brady's play would decline sharply.
Kellerman was wrong in his take, as Brady is getting better with age. James wants to know when the disrespect will stop.
LeBron reacts to Max Kellerman’s infamous video from 2016 where he predicted that Tom Brady would “fall off a cliff”:
“When will it stop?? Never!! Cause hot take hate simply sells.”
#NBAAllStar #LeBronJames https://t.co/RGa2GEsVHD
LeBron James fires shot at Tom Brady doubters on Instagram
James' caption that hot takes are what sells is unfortunate but accurate. Analysts like Kellerman, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith have shown on occasions that they're respectable sports analysts.
But in a digital age where there's more competition for clicks and TV views than ever, networks have turned to hot takes being the main focus of their broadcasts. James is all too familiar with it, as he's the subject of as many hot takes daily as any athlete in the world.
James followed up his initial post with another post shared by ESPN. The Los Angeles Lakers star showed love for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, who had more touchdowns (45) than years of age (44).
#NBAAllStar #LeBronJames
LeBron posted a stat about Tom Brady to his Instagram Stories 🔥 #NBAAllStar #LeBronJames https://t.co/1wx92oM2Ee
It's hard to disagree with the respect Brady deserves, whether you like him or not. Not only did he throw the second-most touchdowns of his career, but he also shattered his previous high in passing yards.
Brady's arm talent continued to shine as he threw for 5,313 yards on a respectable 7.4 yards per attempt. Brady did this despite injuries to his skill-position players throughout the season.
Antonio Brown missed half of the season before being cut from the Buccaneers in Week 17. His most reliable target, Rob Gronkowski, missed five games due to injury.
Chris Godwin suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 and missed the final three games as well.
Tom Brady will always be the subject of hot takes because he's the greatest at what he does. But he and James have both been defying the odds and holding off father time.
If Brady wins his fourth MVP this season, perhaps that will quiet the hot takes.