Zlatan tells LeBron James to stay out of politics...

[James_42]

Zlatan is in the wrong but Lebron has also made some blunders, his take about China was awful especially after he went after Daryl Morey for speaking out about it.

 

[SwedishFish]

I think it's the fact, Zlatan comes across (as part of his schtick) as hyper arrogant but in reality, he's a good footballer with not some sort of unreal talent that transcends the sport.

If you can compare sports, Lebron's achievements DWARF Zlatan's.

You are so utterly clueless, proven by your earlier posts.

It's two completely different sports in almost every way possible. You have one league that holds real relevance in basketball. In football, it's a completely different story and much more intricate than that.

A player like Ronaldo never won the Champions League but is still one of the best to ever play the game.

You can question his take on this particular subject but to question his achievements is an absolute joke.

Go on Wikipedia and see if you think that his achievements don't merit him being an unreal talent with outstanding longevity.

 

[Suedesi]

LeBron responds: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...s-zlatan-ibrahimovic-no-way-ever-stick-sports

Really a bizarre shot by Zlatan all things considered.

Team Lebron on this one. But i had to laugh towards the end of the interview when he says "I'm very well educated." Bitch you didn't even go to college. You may say I'm "very well informed about issues that affect my community" and leave it at that.

Lebron probably saw the MJ doc where people complained about MJ's non-involvement in black community issues and said Ima step up here. Good on him.

 

[MattofManchester]

I wonder if Zlatan is indirectly telling LeBron James to shut up. Not sportsmen as a whole.
After all, Marcus Rashford would fall more into the perspective of Zlatan. He's also never commented this in his history as a footballer, so it's strange to do it now.

LeBron is a bit of an idiot, so I'm personally of the opinion he should shut up after his calamity of an opinion about the CCP and Hong Kong.
Especially with the state of things occurring in China at the moment.

Generally, people who make misinformed blunders will mostly likely make misinformed blunders again.

If Zlatan is saying sportsmen should shut up and dribble, he's wrong and a fool, but he's always been in the limelight and never found it necessary to say something along these lines, which is interesting.

I don't think sportsmen should be quiet on political matters. I do think that those who have relayed idiotic opinions in the past will be slightly tainted in the future, and they should focus on contributing to their community and giving THEM a voice, and refrain from doing so themselves.

 

[JPRouve]

You are so utterly clueless, proven by your earlier posts.

It's two completely different sports in almost every way possible. You have one league that holds real relevance in basketball. In football, it's a completely different story and much more intricate than that.

A player like Ronaldo never won the Champions League but is still one of the best to ever play the game.

You can question his take on this particular subject but to question his achievements is an absolute joke.

Go on Wikipedia and see if you think that his achievements don't merit him being an unreal talent with outstanding longevity.

Zlatan was a quality player but not an unreal talent, he was a very real talent and never the best in his own position/role during his playing time and far from the best all time. So the comparison with James is fairly easy, only Jordan is considered as better than James.

 

[DoomSlayer]

The thing about Lebron James is that he is that only Jordan and Ali are above him when it comes to athletes popularity which is an incredible achievement.

Just an observation, but I think Kobe was more popular and respected around the world. Maybe it's different in the US though, not sure.

I'm not a basketball fan, but I like and admire Lebron for his amazing talents, I also think he is a very cool guy, so what I said isn't a dig at him at all.

 

[SilentWitness]

Team Lebron on this one. But i had to laugh towards the end of the interview when he says "I'm very well educated." Bitch you didn't even go to college.

You don’t have to go to college to be well educated.

 

[JPRouve]

Just an observation, but I think Kobe was more popular and respected around the world. Maybe it's different in the US though, not sure.

I'm not a basketball fan, but I like and admire Lebron for his amazing talents, I also think he is a very cool guy, so what I said isn't a dig at him at all.

James is extremely popular everywhere as is Kobe but James is slightly more popular, people above 40 may like Kobe more than younger people but he isn't clearly more popular than James. The 2020 ranking had in that order Jordan, Ali, James and Bryant as the top 4.

 

[JPRouve]

You don’t have to go to college to be well educated.

And may graduate college while being an absolute idiot.

 

[DoomSlayer]

James is extremely popular everywhere as is Kobe but James is slightly more popular, people above 40 may like Kobe more than younger people but he isn't clearly more popular than James. The 2020 ranking had in that order Jordan, Ali, James and Bryant as the top 4.

You're probably correct in alluding that is a generational thing. It would be better to look back and compare them maybe a decade after James has retired.

 

[SwedishFish]

Zlatan was a quality player but not an unreal talent, he was a very real talent and never the best in his own position/role during his playing time and far from the best all time. So the comparison with James is fairly easy, only Jordan is considered as better than James.

Zlatan is a quality player still and he's 40.

He's certainly been the best CF in the world but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been outstanding attacking players in brilliant teams, but that wouldn't take anything away from Zlatan's performances.

It's absolutely pointless to make direct comparisons to players in the NBA. There are many players who have been "unreal" talents in the NBA during Lebrons career. Kobe, Duncan, Parker, Shaq, Curry, Durant, Wade, Kawhi.

All of them HOF material and players that have had a lasting impact on the sport.

Lebron could probably only be compared to Cristiano Ronaldo if we're going by titles and impact.

Messi may be, but he'd never be considered to be a Lebron if we're going by what he's won in his career, which is how you measure impact in American sports.

 

[JPRouve]

Zlatan is a quality player still and he's 40.

He's certainly been the best CF in the world but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been outstanding attacking players in brilliant teams, but that wouldn't take anything away from Zlatan's performances.

It's absolutely pointless to make direct comparisons to players in the NBA. There are many players who have been "unreal" talents in the NBA during Lebrons career. Kobe, Duncan, Parker, Shaq, Curry, Durant, Wade, Kawhi.

All of them HOF material and players that have had a lasting impact on the sport.

Lebron could probably only be compared to Cristiano Ronaldo if we're going by titles and impact.

Messi may be, but he'd never be considered to be a Lebron if we're going by what he's won in his career, which is how you measure impact in American sports.

When was he the best striker in the world? He has never been better than successively Henry, Eto'o, Van Persie, Villa, Suarez or Lewandowski.

And Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the same galaxy than Ibrahimovic which makes your initial disagreement very strange.

 

[sport2793]

Just an observation, but I think Kobe was more popular and respected around the world. Maybe it's different in the US though, not sure.

I'm not a basketball fan, but I like and admire Lebron for his amazing talents, I also think he is a very cool guy, so what I said isn't a dig at him at all.

The issue is that Kobe is likely a rapist (have read a lot about the Colorado episode and it's very troubling stuff), which obviously removes a bit of his luster.

EDIT: Ironically that whole episode led to the development of his "Mamba mentality" mantra, which unlocked another level in his basketball talents.

 

[Foxbatt]

This is not about how talented or good Zlatan is. This is completely wrong of Zlatan. Zlatan is not an American to tell an American to keep out of politics in America. Especially an African American who is talking about racism in America.

 

[DoomSlayer]

When was he the best striker in the world? He has never been better than successively Henry, Eto'o, Van Persie, Villa, Suarez or Lewandowski.

And Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the same galaxy than Ibrahimovic which makes your initial disagreement very strange.

It should be in a totally different thread, but I absolutely disagree that all the mentioned players are somehow levels above Ibrahimovic, maybe Henry was. But put peak Zlatan instead of Lewandowski in the Bayern team and he would be tearing it up as well.

 

[mu4c_20le]

With the exception of Van Persie, I'd say everyone in that list are comfortably a level above him. The numbers don't lie, and Zlatan has spent most of his career in Serie A. His one season in la liga, in his absolute prime, produced similar numbers with Villa.

 

[SwedishFish]

When was he the best striker in the world? He has never been better than successively Henry, Eto'o, Van Persie, Villa, Suarez or Lewandowski.

And Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the same galaxy than Ibrahimovic which makes your initial disagreement very strange.

Villa? Eto'o? RvP? Suarez?

You are taking the piss right?

 

[JPRouve]

It should be in a totally different thread, but I absolutely disagree that all the mentioned players are somehow levels above Ibrahimovic, maybe Henry was. But put peak Zlatan instead of Lewandowski in the Bayern team and he would be tearing it up as well.

I said successively, Ibrahimovic has never actually been the best striker at a single time, there are always been someone else and often several players above him. In terms of legacy what separates him is his longevity not his unreal talent and then how you want to weight longevity is debatable, I don't really have an opinion but even without it, it's fairly easy to find a good dozen of better strikers in the history of the game and then players that were better than him when they played at the same time.

And if you look at all time conversations Ibrahimovic is rarely mentioned and he doesn't really have a body of work that would put him in that conversation.

 

[VorZakone]

Villa? Eto'o? RvP? Suarez?

You are taking the piss right?

I'm not sure about RvP but the likes of Suarez, Villa and Eto'o were better than Zlatan at their peak, I would agree with that.

 

[JPRouve]

With the exception of Van Persie, I'd say everyone in that list are comfortably a level above him. The numbers don't lie, and Zlatan has spent most of his career in Serie A. His one season in la liga, in his absolute prime, produced similar numbers with Villa.

To be clear the point I was making is that in the mid 2000s Henry was better than Ibrahimovic, as was Eto"o, then Villa was better than Ibrahimovic around 2008-2011, then Van Persie was better than Ibrahimovic, then Suarez and Kane were better than Ibrahimovic, then Lewandowski and Kane were better than Ibrahimovic. I don't even think that it's controversial, Ibrahimovic was consistently in the top 5 among strikers but never/rarely the best which negates the idea that his talent was unreal. If you then add the fact that most of the players mentioned in that list aren't as good as a good dozen of strikers in the history of the game, Ibrahimovic isn't actually that high in the pecking order.

 

[mav_9me]

I wonder if Zlatan is indirectly telling LeBron James to shut up. Not sportsmen as a whole.
After all, Marcus Rashford would fall more into the perspective of Zlatan. He's also never commented this in his history as a footballer, so it's strange to do it now.

LeBron is a bit of an idiot, so I'm personally of the opinion he should shut up after his calamity of an opinion about the CCP and Hong Kong.
Especially with the state of things occurring in China at the moment.

Generally, people who make misinformed blunders will mostly likely make misinformed blunders again.

If Zlatan is saying sportsmen should shut up and dribble, he's wrong and a fool, but he's always been in the limelight and never found it necessary to say something along these lines, which is interesting.

I don't think sportsmen should be quiet on political matters. I do think that those who have relayed idiotic opinions in the past will be slightly tainted in the future, and they should focus on contributing to their community and giving THEM a voice, and refrain from doing so themselves.

One wrong opinion doesn't invalidate every other opinion, no? You take each opinion on its own merits.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

You are so utterly clueless, proven by your earlier posts.

It's two completely different sports in almost every way possible. You have one league that holds real relevance in basketball. In football, it's a completely different story and much more intricate than that.

A player like Ronaldo never won the Champions League but is still one of the best to ever play the game.

You can question his take on this particular subject but to question his achievements is an absolute joke.

Go on Wikipedia and see if you think that his achievements don't merit him being an unreal talent with outstanding longevity.

Where do you think I went to see his honours?!

So funny people absolutely losing it over this? How odd.

 

[Suedesi]

You don’t have to go to college to be well educated.

Unless we are changing the definition, it kinda is a prerequisite.

Education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization(e.g., rural development projects and education through parent-child relationships).

 

[SilentWitness]

Unless we are changing the definition, it kinda is a prerequisite.

Education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization(e.g., rural development projects and education through parent-child relationships).

You are describing formal education. A type of education.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Which character in the film was McConnaughey ?

My bad, I was thinking Dazed and Confused. The washed up dude who still hangs around high school kids.

 

[TsuWave]

Team Lebron on this one. But i had to laugh towards the end of the interview when he says "I'm very well educated." Bitch you didn't even go to college.

shocking take

Unless we are changing the definition, it kinda is a prerequisite.

Education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization(e.g., rural development projects and education through parent-child relationships).

Do you solely understand the world as is described by dictionary definitions?

 

[Andycoleno9]

James is extremely popular everywhere as is Kobe but James is slightly more popular, people above 40 may like Kobe more than younger people but he isn't clearly more popular than James. The 2020 ranking had in that order Jordan, Ali, James and Bryant as the top 4.

You are maybe right. I am 40 and i love Jordan and Kobe. Lebron has something which i dislike. I don't know what. He is great player, great person but something just doesn't fit....
And all my friends (also older people) think like me when we talk about it

 

[AkaAkuma]

I wonder if Zlatan is indirectly telling LeBron James to shut up. Not sportsmen as a whole.
After all, Marcus Rashford would fall more into the perspective of Zlatan. He's also never commented this in his history as a footballer, so it's strange to do it now.

LeBron is a bit of an idiot, so I'm personally of the opinion he should shut up after his calamity of an opinion about the CCP and Hong Kong.
Especially with the state of things occurring in China at the moment.

Generally, people who make misinformed blunders will mostly likely make misinformed blunders again.

If Zlatan is saying sportsmen should shut up and dribble, he's wrong and a fool, but he's always been in the limelight and never found it necessary to say something along these lines, which is interesting.

I don't think sportsmen should be quiet on political matters. I do think that those who have relayed idiotic opinions in the past will be slightly tainted in the future, and they should focus on contributing to their community and giving THEM a voice, and refrain from doing so themselves.

I wonder if this is partly what Zlatan is saying. The guys outspoken so maybe he's said some things in the past he regrets.

 

[Suedesi]

You are describing formal education. A type of education.

I am describing the difference between being educated and being informed. One is a formal, structured and systematic process where one learns from trained and professional teachers, the other involves reading a book, journal, social media, or talknig to people about a topic.

 

[Suedesi]

James is extremely popular everywhere as is Kobe but James is slightly more popular, people above 40 may like Kobe more than younger people but he isn't clearly more popular than James. The 2020 ranking had in that order Jordan, Ali, James and Bryant as the top 4.

James is not extremely popular everywhere, in fact he is somewhat dislikeable. I live in NYC and while no one dares question his talent, he doesn't elicit the same admiration as Kobe or MJ. And that's before you bring in his views on China/NBA or his cringeworthy "the decision". The media is desperate to push the Lebron narrative, but it just doesn't stick. I remember when media was pushing Grant Hill but everyone wanted to be like Allen Iverson.

Maybe it's looks. Kobe was hot, Lebron is erm anything but. Or maybe it's personality, humor, charisma. I don't know, but people like what they like..

 

[hmchan]

'LeBron stands for money’: Hong Kong protesters burn James jerseys
https://amp.theguardian.com/sport/2...kong-protestors-burn-lebron-james-jerseys-nba

 

[MattofManchester]

One wrong opinion doesn't invalidate every other opinion, no? You take each opinion on its own merits.

It was the level of how damaging and misinformed that opinion was. LeBron did not care what the effects of such a poor and outrageous opinion were before making such a claim as he did.

The ironic aspect of it was that James was describing about how misinformed and ignorant opinions can cause harm, regarding Daryl Morey, while somehow managing to do that exact thing.
As far as I know, he's never apologized for that debacle either.

So, no, I won't judge his future opinions on merit, as he's proven himself to be a sheer idiot(or an opportunist, some would say, or both), nor has he tried to make amends for that error, or show that he's adapted his way of thinking.
I'm quite sure that as far as he's concerned, his statement was reasonable and sound.

 

[Kaos]

They're both hypocrites - Zlatan after calling out possible racism towards him regarding his last name, and LeBron for shameless defending the CCP.

 

[Stacks]

That were illegally won and rescinded?

He won most of the titles in France so they're out. Juve titles were rescinded. Milan OK fair enough but weak league and Inter, they were dominant team in a weakening league too. Barcelona couldn't work with Guardiola who binned him off and won six trophies in a season without him, two UCLs etc.

He's not a difference maker, he's a good paint job on a race car.

What does weak league mean? Every team he plays for in Seria A becomes the dominant team. Sounds like you are reaching here. So what he couldn't work with Pep. They were a dominant team so it wouldn't count I guess

 

[Stacks]

James is not extremely popular everywhere, in fact he is somewhat dislikeable. I live in NYC and while no one dares question his talent, he doesn't elicit the same admiration as Kobe or MJ. And that's before you bring in his views on China/NBA or his cringeworthy "the decision". The media is desperate to push the Lebron narrative, but it just doesn't stick. I remember when media was pushing Grant Hill but everyone wanted to be like Allen Iverson.

Maybe it's looks. Kobe was hot, Lebron is erm anything but. Or maybe it's personality, humor, charisma. I don't know, but people like what they like..

Probably because Kobe stayed at his team his whole career and Lebron hops around

 

[Bobski]

Lebron can say what he wants, so can Zlatan, up to those reading, hearing, consuming their opinion to judge the worth of it, and ideally not giving their takes more weight based on their celebrity.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

What does weak league mean? Every team he plays for in Seria A becomes the dominant team. Sounds like you are reaching here. So what he couldn't work with Pep. They were a dominant team so it wouldn't count I guess

It's the other way around.

 

[Suedesi]

A lot of people's perception of Zlatan is skewed by the old, tired version we saw at United. Dude was 34-35 years old when he played for us, jumping to the most physcial league in the world and... he did alright. To deny what an absolute monster he was at Ajax, Juve, Inter (especially), Barca, Milan, PSG and the national team for over 2 decades is revisionism at its best. He will go down as one of the best strikers of his era, and def one of the most charismatic, funny, personable and likeable players.

He does have the odd moments - being super rude at times (to Sacchi on live TV for example), cocky to an unbearable level, with some stupid feuds (Guardiola) etc, he's far from perfect. But he'll go down as one of the characters of the game - characters which are in short supply and add spice to sport we follow and love. If the alternative is a bunch of Milners, give me Zlatan every week.

 

[Wibble]

I know many people love the guy and all, but it would be great if people realised that Ibrahimovic is an idiot.

Great footballer but does anyone not think that he is a world class knobhead as a person?

Edit: at least one apparently.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

You are so utterly clueless, proven by your earlier posts.

It's two completely different sports in almost every way possible. You have one league that holds real relevance in basketball. In football, it's a completely different story and much more intricate than that.

A player like Ronaldo never won the Champions League but is still one of the best to ever play the game.

You can question his take on this particular subject but to question his achievements is an absolute joke.

Go on Wikipedia and see if you think that his achievements don't merit him being an unreal talent with outstanding longevity.

Yeah but that's Ronaldo. Zlatan isn't among the greatest ever footballers.