By Malik Wilson

 

If Willy Wonka sent out 5 golden tickets to the NBA, and Lebron got one – would he make it through the factory tour…or would he be plumped up and purple in the face, stuck in a tube being pulled out by orange Oompa Loompas?

 

 

It’s safe to say Veruca James is a bad egg – a spoiled fuck’n brat and I think he needs to be taught a lesson.

 

People argue – “well, he’s the greatest so he should be able to pick and choose…” Yeah – maybe he does have a right – but not a right to compromise core character traits when he is a model for so many wide eyed young men. I don’t remember Jordan jumping ship when he couldn’t win. Jordan didn’t jump ship in ’95 when the Bulls lost to the Magic. He didn’t huff and puff. Nah. He worked his ass off – and the following season had one of the most historic NBA seasons, leading the Bulls to a 72-10 championship season.

I guess Veruca is above doing that….

 

Don’t get me wrong. Lebron is one of the greatest basketball athletes to ever play the game, but his attitude sucks. And if I were the NBA and the parents of kids who idolize him, I would be pretty pissed. He is showing kids that loyalty means nothing when you aren’t getting your way.

 

Veruca James’ behavior and attitude has greater social implications than a lot of us are really considering. Lebron is a representation of what the average Millennial is like. Coddled. Entitled. Incapable of accepting failure. Gets a trophy for just showing up.

We have a whole generation of kids, now adults who don’t know what it means to work hard and overcome adversity. They’d rather spend their time figuring out how to get the easy way out.

 

I think it’s time Veruca James gets a timeout.

 

The solution is clear in my head. Some of you (ok maybe most) will say this is pretty radical, but I think the way to resolve this Lebron jumping ship bullshit – is by having no team sign him. Let little Veruca sit out the next season. Give him no deal.

 

Pretty intense right? But I think it would be the NBA acting as a parent showing him tough love.

 

We keep letting him get away with this – soon kids on street courts are going to quit halfway through games and negotiate being switched on the other team just to say they won.

 

Veruca – you are a great player, but your championships are just as empty as that participation trophy that lazy eyed kid got in T-ball.

 

Go to time-out until you learn about hard work, loyalty and that you can’t always get your way.