"Don't Hate The Playa"

You hatin' on me bruh? 

 Why is it that no one ever wants to admit to being a hater? We hear the term being thrown around all of the time but it never seems to apply to those using it. Folks act like haters live up in some remote village in  the Utah mountains and only come down when there is something or someone to hate on. Well, I'm tired of folks that swear they aren't hating but would be convicted of 20 counts of haterism if they were given a jury trial. It wouldn't matter if they raised Johnny Cohcran from the dead to represent them.

You know you're a hater when you can't appreciate that you're watching probably the greatest athlete that we've EVER seen on a basketball court in LeBron James. I continue to trip off of people that hate him for being better than everybody else or for simply leaving the worst franchise known to man in Cleveland. If you just stepped back and took the hater's mask off for 5 minutes and paid attention to what this guy is capable of doing at his size and weight you'd be amazed. He's 6'8" 260lbs and runs up and down the floor like he's 5'11" 180 lbs.

Not only is he putting up video game numbers during this series against the Pacers, not only is he running the point but he's also playing power forward now that Bosh is out. He's also guarding pretty much every position on the floor while playing 44 minutes a game! I don't think you understand what I just said! He's playing 44 minutes a game bruh! The freaking game is 48 minutes long! Who does that? But you're so busy hatin' that you can't see it. 

I like the kid because he was born and raised in the ghetto in a very unstable environment with a single parent that was just as unstable. However, during his entire career he's never once been on the police blotter or in the news for doing anything other than playing basketball. Keep in mind that he signed a $90 million Nike deal before he even graduated from high school bruh! How many people would have given up as soon as the check came in? $90 million at 18 years old knowing that in two months he's going to be the 1st pick of the NBA draft? Who does that? This kid has handled all of this like a professional for the mere fact that he hasn't been in trouble and all folks can do is hate on him?

Now I would expect it to come from folks that grew up in the suburbs that can't begin to imagine how difficult it is for a black male to get out of the ghetto alive at 18. Not to mention being a 16 year old on the cover of Sports Illustrated still living in the middle of the war zone at the time.  However, I'm blown away at the amount of cats that grew up with the same story as LeBron that won't support this cat. Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! If you're that guy you're a hater bruh plain and simple. If you grew up in the ghetto and you can't appreciate what this guy has done on and off of the court you're a bonafide hater!

Where I'm from, you don't knock another man's hustle especially if he's from where you're from. If you grew up in the ghetto he's from your hood.  You love Jordan but he won't touch the ghetto with a ten foot pole. He'll sell the hood shoes but won't show up to speak to the kids wearing them.You love Kobe but isn't he the same cat that got arrested for sexual assault and threw Shaq under the bus when he wasn't even there?They call that being a snitch where I grew up.

 You love the neighborhood drug dealer that is destroying lives for generations to come. Some kid has to go to school today with learning disabilities because the guy YOU admire sold his mother drugs while she was pregnant. So now with some hope and a lot of prayers he may be able to at least function as an adult one day. But you hate LeBron for playing the game of basketball like no other guy in history because he's yet to win a title? Are you serious? Keep in mind folks, Jordan didn't win a title until he was 28! LeBron is just 27 bruh. Both Jordan and Kobe had the best coach to ever walk the sidelines in Phil Jackson! Don't get me started!!!!

  You also love the guy that just spent 20 years in prison for murder because he's REAL in your opinion. The same guy that took some one's loved one away forever will get love on the street but LeBron can't get any.

 You'll hate LeBron because some media outlet anointed him "The Chosen One" at 16 years old and because he was young, immature and without a father to teach him how to handle the hype, tattooed it on his back.  They named him the "King" while in high school and you're mad that he ran with it? 

If you can't see that you're a hater after reading this joint! You need rehab bruh! They've got a twelve step program for that and a serenity prayer to go along with it. There are a whole lot of things to dislike in the world but not a kid that has overcome all sorts of obstacles even before entering the league. He's the kid that all of these single mothers in the ghetto should be encouraging their young sons to pay attention to because he didn't have a father growing up either but look at what he's done with his life. 

You know you're a hater when you've read this joint and said, "Man whatever, I still don't like him!" Don't Hate The Playa, Hate The Game!!!

Holla At Ya Boy! 

Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport