LeBron James declines podium after loss, reportedly because of delay

LeBron James is sure to be criticized by some for the way he handled his media responsibilities after Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
Key personalities involved in the series are typically asked to appear at a podium where they are faced by the majority of reporters after games. Instead of going to the podium, LeBron fielded questions in a “scrum” setting where there were fewer reporters around him.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports that James declined the podium because he has been frustrated with the delays recently.
LeBron has been frustrated having to wait to go to podium a few times recently. So for now, he's not doing it. Didn't yesterday either.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 5, 2017
He's had to wait to talk at podium a few times recently and he's decided he's done with it for now.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 5, 2017
Many will wonder whether James would find visiting the podium to be such an inconvenience if his team were winning instead of getting blown out in the first two games of the Finals. But the Cleveland Cavaliers star did talk with the media and answer plenty of questions, so this is a lot different of a case from when athletes skip their postgame interviews entirely.