I don't mean to...ahem...interrupt, but doesn't LeBron James have his very own media company? That he uses to publicly portray his thoughts and opinions on things that either interest him or effect him? And he can do so whenever he chooses, thus making it easier for him to remain clear-headed in having full control of his message? I mean, watching him struggle to find the words for an opposing head coach that was probably mourning the passing of his wife of four decades as opposed to tuning into TNT's postgame coverage was super satisfying and all, but I can't help but feel like there was a more appropriate time, place, and platform for a commiseration than on a basketball court seconds after the subject went from dropping 40+ to being delivered heartbreaking news. Well, well, well....would you look at that?!
To be clear, I'm glad that LeBron James cleared both the air and the name of a reporter in promising that she didn't just drop death on his doorstep during live television, but - somehow, someway - the fact that he already knew prior to the camera rolling then acted shocked when notified on-air makes that whole scene even more awkward. I don't blame LeBron James, clearly he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to offer his compassion to Pop. I don't blame Allie LaForce, clearly she wasn't going to say no after he had already said yes to giving her a stirring soundbite. Hell, I don't even fully blame the producer for what comes off as an awful attempt at a ratings grab. It's not like there is some obvious formulaic way in which you're supposed to deal with a situation this rare, so - procedurally speaking - I'm not at liberty to say if this was handled right or wrong. I am, however, at liberty to say that, in retrospect, it was handled so uncomfortably that it managed to unite the entirety of the most disagreeable of viewing audiences. I can't imagine there's one person that came away from that interview saying to themselves "that was far more enlightening than it was excruciating!", and that's the bare minimum bar that should be met by the asking of relatively impromptu condolences. No one ever has the words they want or need in the immediate wake of disastrous news, so hopefully TNT - and every other broadcast network, for that matter - learned that the respect to be lost far outweighs the content to be gained. All they got was a rough draft of LeBron's thoughts and prayers, and now were talking about the untimeliness of them instead of the tragic passing of someone who was beloved by both her universally respected husband of 40 years and the rest of the NBA family.
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