“I’m confident because I’m the best player in the world. It’s as simple as that.”
LeBron James said that in response to a reporter’s question about what he thought about the chances that his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, which were facing elimination in the NBA Finals, had to win the series. The comment provoked much chatter in sports circles with some saying LeBron was too full of himself, but others saying he was right.
LeBron’s words were not enough in Game 6; the Cavs lost the game and the series to the Golden State Warriors, a better team.
Intrigued by what other athletes might say about LeBron's self proclamation of greatness, William Rhoden, sports columnist for the New York Times, asked members of the New York Giants to comment.
There’s a certain level of etiquette that we learn as professional athletes," said linebacker James Beason. "[You] never talk about yourself. It’s my belief that [LeBron] is the best player in the world. But I can see how some people might not like it when it comes from the horse’s mouth.
Rhoden himself opined, “[F]or team players to talk about their greatness ignores the fact that their success is dependent on others.”
I agree with much of this sentiment, but there is something else that another Giants player, Rashad Jennings, said that I think gets to the heart of James’s intention. Jennings – as Rhoden paraphrased -- “was simply trying to inspire his teammates.” Absolutely.
James may not show humility in a news conference, but his play inspires his teammates. At that time the Cavs were hobbled by injuries to two key players. As commentator after commentator noted, James was “carrying the team on his back.”
LeBron is the quarterback on the court; he directs the action. But if the game is on the line he will not hesitate to assert himself. Notably in the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference versus the Chicago Bulls, LeBron disagreed with final play that coach David Blatt had called. Instead he took the ball himself, made the shot and the Cavs won the game, and eventually the series.
At the same time, leadership requires inspiration. People admire someone who can stand up and take charge. Never is this more true than when a team is facing adversity. They ask themselves: Does he or she know where we are headed? Can this person pull us together in times of trouble? Does this person have what it takes to lead our team?
When leaders assert themselves, they remove pressure from the team to perform so that individuals can think more clearly because the leader can get them to focus on the task without worrying so much about external circumstances.
Followers say to themselves: Let the leader do the worrying for us; we just have to our jobs. At the same time, such leaders do not pretend to do all the work. Just the opposite. They insist that everyone on the team pull together; otherwise they will be removed.
Humility is critical to leadership, yes. At the same time when the chips are down we like it when a leader stands up and says, “Follow me.” And we do so because we know the person can do the job and needs our help to do it better.
