The Miami Heat were called a bunch of frontrunners after their 94-90 Game 5 loss to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night, and after pulling crap like they did following the game, it’s hard to disagree.
Both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade — the team’s leaders and biggest stars — did not go to the podium to speak with the media after the game. Instead, coach Erik Spoelstra was sent to the media wolves, and Chris Bosh was left as the reporters’ scraps.
Yup, James and Wade decided the guy who had just returned after missing nine games should represent the club after one of its biggest losses of the season. At least the oft-mocked Bosh stood front and center to take questions from the media; Wade and James couldn’t even manage that.
Apparently James and Wade decided their wacky outfits and dopey pants and accessories don’t look so cute after a loss. Apparently they decided they didn’t want to face the massive firing squad, and instead answered questions in the locker room, where there’s far fewer media members.
And then, of course, we get teased by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, with this tweet:
There’s some reasons why I won’t get into but Wade & James not going to podium after last 2 losses is not a good look.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 6, 2012
Whatever the heck that means. They would need a really, really good excuse to have ducked out, and I hope they don’t think that answering questions in the locker room is the same thing as going to the podium.
It’s easy to wear fake glasses, ridiculous pink pants, and color coordinate your finger wraps with your ties when you’re winning. But it’s how you behave after the losses that show a player’s true character.
These guys want to receive all the glory and be the big studs after their huge games, but they’re nowhere to be found when they play poorly and lose. For LeBron, this is nothing new. He skipped out on the media and handshakes in 2009 after the Cavs were knocked out of the playoffs. Dwyane Wade meanwhile is too worried about making fashion statements.
I guess the Heat really are too concerned with the wrong things.
