YAYsports! NBA

(The Cavalier is on an extended leave of absence. The following was not written by him, although he'’ll be apologizing with Don Imus shortly.)

So two weeks ago it’s reported that LeBron is building a giant fantasy house. Everyone talks about it and we all moved on.

Well, at least normal people did.

Tom Knott, on the other hand, did not.

LeBron James is electing to have an enormous carbon footprint in the 35,440-square-foot home he is having built outside Akron, Ohio.

No word yet whether James plans to buy environmental penance through the purchase of carbon offsets, the approach of Al Gore, the green movement’s high priest who delivers his sermons from the don’t-do-as-I-do, do-as-I-say pulpit.

James is opting to indulge in his fantasies with his dream castle. It will come with a bowling alley, casino, theater, recording studio, barber shop, aquarium, sports bar, outdoor swimming pool and six-car garage. Why he left out a shopping mall is anyone’s guess.
A first-floor master suite will feature a walk-in, two-story closet. The suite will be about 40 feet wide and 56 feet long, which is larger than half the homes in the township.

All this just goes to show you that the wealthy do not behave or think like the masses, which perhaps explains the disconnect among the sky-is-falling cacklers.

I have love/hate relationship* with Knott and you can color me skeptical, but I don’t believe he’s all that concerned about LeBron’s carbon footprint.

The truth of the matter is, Knott just couldn’t help himself; it may have taken him two weeks, but he finally found a reason to rip James because of the house (the rest of the column is quite a piece of work, somehow John Travolta and Wild Hogs gets brought up and, of course, Al Gore).

I was first made aware of Knott during last season’s playoff series with the Wizards (oh remember those days? When the Cavs played well and LeBron looked unstoppable… What a difference a year makes). Knott used his column to take cheap shots and hurl insults at James and the Cavaliers. I’m not sure what his problem was, but he came off like a petulant child and a sore loser.

And look, I’m not saying that James is above criticism or ridicule. Lord knows I’m not one of those fans who gets upset every time somebody mocks King James, but come on.

If you’re going to rip James, at least have some kind of coherent point (that goes for Cleveland writers too- lookin’ at you Bud Shaw); if you resort to name calling and faking concern for the environment (seriously, John Travolta? Really?), you’re just a lazy hack (it’s really not that hard to find legitimate reasons to rip James. Let’s make a list: playing hard every game, free throws, focus on basketball, taking good shots, Nike’s factory labor policies (what?), defense, rebounding, end of game possessions, etc). (Now that’s a long sentence).

Knott just has an ax to grind. He’s like less knowledgeable, less talented Charley Rosen (seriously, has Rosen ever said a kind word about LBJ or the Cavaliers? Anyone?)- anytime he has a chance to rip James, he takes it. It boggles my mind that there’s a newspaper that actually employs Knott (just as it blows me away that people want me to write for their websites. There’s no good reason for this).

*not true. I hate the guy and we have no relationship. He has no idea who I am.