Dan Gilbert Calls LeBron ‘A-Hole’ on Twitter, Which Is Totally Fine Now (UPDATE (2))

by Cleveland Frowns on October 2, 2010

What am I missing? LeBron responds to a baiting question on race with a vague truism and the internet and talk radio go Mississippi Burning. Meanwhile, nobody makes a peep at Cavs owner Dan Gilbert having joined the pile-on by calling LeBron an “A-Hole” on Twitter.

You really have to go out of your way to assume it’s anything but that when less than 24 hours after LeBron’s now infamous comments on CNN, when nobody’s talking about anything but LeBron, Gilbert decides to drop some wisdom about rich A-Holes from his @cavsdan account:

“Success/Wealth a big magnifying glass; If U were nice b4 U got em, U now nicer but if U were an A-Hole b4 U got em, U now bigger A-Hole” DG

Tell us more about bigger A-Holes, DG. Really, nobody wants to ask him about this? Not the Plain Dealer? Not ESPN? 19 Action News? Nobody? Hasn’t decades-worth of programming been squeezed from a lot less than this?

So it must be official now. Spades are spades. It’s Dan Gilbert and “real Clevelanders” against A-Hole LeBron until the end of time, with nothing in between. If the NBA really is turning into the WWE, it’s not just the players making it happen. And everybody’s totally fine with all of this.

Where’s my Miami Heat snuggie?

———-

UPDATE: Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports weighs in:

“[W]hile we continue to shake our heads at the unfortunate way James continues to be led around by a mug like Maverick Carter, he’s still a 25-year old with a diminished sense of perspective that is growing up in public.

“Dan Gilbert’s a 48-year old guy who calls other people “A-Holes”s on Twitter. So, win/win, NBA.

“… [L]et’s not forget, of course, that Gilbert’s constant pampering and acquiescing to James’ handlers had as much to do LeBron’s current bout of nasty narcissism as anything. Or that his former GM’s personnel moves, the ones that left James without a supporting cast to match the sort of outfits that helped Kobe Bryant(notes) and Dwyane Wade win rings, had just about everything to do with LeBron taking his talents to South Beach.

“Naw, let’s keep flailing away. Nothing like ethics insight done in 140 characters or less, with six of those bad boys being used up to type “A-Hole.” Twice.”

———-

UPDATE: Gilbert incredibly denies that the tweet had anything to do with LeBron, and questions our “cyber-courage.”

———-

H/T Only In Cleveland

  • Believelander

    Surely he was simply tweeting a vaguely-benign truism!

    Actually, while he literally tweets nothing specific about LeBron, unless there are other contextual tweets not taken into account here, this is the kind of thing Dan Gilbert needs to avoid. This isn't how he is going to garner the respect of the character guys in his organization like Williams and Jamison. Ugh.

    I'm equally not okay with this as LeBron James calling me a racist to my face, except not at all to my face and in a way that he can disavow ever suggesting anyone was racist.

    But really. There's gonna be an #MuzzleGilbert tag on twitter soon.

  • jimkanicki

    not for nothing but is not gilbert's statement just a maxim, a basic truth?

    if no.. if you're going to say that was pointed at lebron… then do you have better data as to whether lebron is or is not an affected asshole than dan gilbert?

    seems you're quick to point out reporters who make unsupported assertions when, for example, a 7th overall pick runs a 4.6 40 and 'unnamed gms' notice it.

    so frowns… do you have some inside info that lebron is not an asshole? and/or did you have drinks with dan gilbert at the map room and can confirm that he was, in fact, calling lebron an asshole?

    if not, why do your journalistic standards apply to mike lombardi and not to yourself?

    as to the 'race played a part' in the reaction to The Decision.. i agree that it's a non-issue and an example of the sorry state of today's 'news' collecting. i really didn't care.

    but if we have to drill into this, ok. next question seems natural: 'how so lebron?' i mean, soledad… you're well compensated to discover and report news. why is the question: 'how exactly, lebron, was racism manifested in the reaction to your announcement to leave your hometown and go to miami?' not asked? for all i know there were crosses were burned in bath twp. maybe there was racism that i didn't see. i'm open-minded. just looking for an example from him.

    the weak-ass reporting is the bigger issue for me. when lebron says the free agent process was 'humbling'… i kinda want the interviewer to ask how. how was it humbling to have six teams funded by billionaires to come to cleveland and plead with with you join their teams humbling?

    but since lebron hasn't explained it.. and since you're willing to support the premise… i'll ask you frownie: in what way did race play a role in the reaction to lebron's decision?

  • Believelander

    Frownie, if a Teddy G posts a post in a forest, and there's nobody there to approve it, did it ever make a Derp?

    also, if Teddy G posted some insightful information, or a well considered, soundly reasoned response to a post, would it be approved?

    musings about Dawg Pound Mike's absence made me think of it…

  • Cleveland Frowns

    Jim:

    I said you'd have to go out of your way to assume this is anything but Gilbert calling LeBron an A-Hole, and you've sort of proved my point.

    I'm not following your argument here. Mine has nothing to do with whether LeBron actually is an A-hole or not. Just that Gilbert meant to call him one with his tweet. Yeah, that's an assumption. IMO, a very solid one.

    What does Mike Lombardi quoting anonymous sources about Joe Haden being 'too slow to play cornerback in the NFL' have to do with it?

    About your last question, I think it's enough to say that some people have been harder on Lebron b/c he's black.

    Adande wrote a good column about it. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp10/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=LeBronRace-101001

    Believemon: If it was possible for Teddy to say something useful and he did, I'd approve it. I sort of miss the guy (No offense, Chris.).

  • Art Brosef

    I for one, and Im being completely honest here, never once thought of Lebron when I read this tweet. But perhaps Im a moron.

    Regardless, isnt his statement just a "truism"? If youre gonna defend LBJ by saying his moronic statements are merely truisms, Id think DG should get the same luxury.

  • Biki

    kelly dwyer finally writes something that makes sense! and bill simmons take on it was similar.. lebron is 25 and will make mistakes.. everyone makes mistakes, but obviously the magnifying glass is on bron so that everyone can clearly see every misstep he makes. but last i checked, i haven't heard lebron complain.. but he probably should get a professional publicist (or fire his current one) to advise him on his PR blunders.. and again, let's keep things in perspective, they are PR blunders, he's not a "monster" like some people around here have suggested, he has committed no crimes like all these other foolios have done.

  • Art Brosef

    Im getting a little, no actually extremely, tired of the LBJ apologists around here.

  • Cleveland Frowns

    This is the problem, Brosef. You can't be against Gilbert calling LeBron an "A-Hole" without being labeled an "LBJ apologist." There's no room for middle ground.

    Where did you A-Holes put my Heat snuggie?

  • Art Brosef

    Who said that Frowns?

    You constantly apply different standards to LBJ and DG; your agenda is obvious.

    Where are the football posts anways

    PS: Youll look silly in a Heat snuggie

  • Chris

    "I said you'd have to go out of your way to assume this is anything but Gilbert calling LeBron an A-Hole"

    Actually, assumption is the exact opposite of what you describe here, Frowns. See, when you assume, you're taking for granted that Gilbert meant what you want him to mean.

    He didn't say "Lebron is an a-hole", contrary to what you've written. He made a general statement that would be a truism, and you could apply it to anyone who grew up without money and has it now. This post needs an "abdication of journalistic responsibility" tag on it.

    Maybe you still want to protect Lebron from the world, or maybe you just have a general distaste for Gilbert. Whatever it is, it's not a good look on you Frowns.

  • Cleveland Frowns

    This is an amazing effort here to pretend like Gilbert didn't mean to refer to LeBron. Again, just like I said.

    We're well aware of what you think is a good look when it comes to LeBron, Chris. Thanks. I think you should go back to your hangover.

  • Cleveland Frowns

    And yeah, I'm not hiding the fact that an assumption is required here. I'm saying you're a liar or a moron if you want to pretend the assumption isn't a really good one.

  • Cleveland Frowns

    Sorry. *Acting* like a liar or a moron.

  • Chris

    I don't know Dan Gilbert, I've never met Dan Gilbert, and I'm not going to pretend to act like I can read Dan Gilbert's mind. Apparently you can. Good for you.

    Regardless of what I think about Lebron, assuming that Dan Gilbert called Lebron an a-hole is laughable. But hey, it's your blog, have it your way. Hate on, hater.

  • Art Brosef

    Chris aint nobody hating up in here.

    Have a beer and show that hangover who's boss. It's working for me…….

  • Brian Sipe

    Gilbert is such a little Bitch!!!!!!! Dude might as well put the team up for sale. No one will play for this punk now.

  • Art Brosef

    Brian, you can do better than that

  • Believelander

    I'm pretty sure everyone and their left uncle knows Dan Gilbert intended to call LeBron James an asshole. On that count, I agree with Pete completely.

    Except that it was obviously a vaguely-benign truism.

  • Justin

    Taking the conversation in a bit of a different direction…

    "…his former GM's personnel moves, the ones that left James without a supporting cast to match the sort of outfits that helped Kobe Bryant(notes) and Dwyane Wade win rings, had just about everything to do with LeBron taking his talents to South Beach."

    -This type of thinking really pisses me off to no end. I need to clear up some misinformed opinions here… We didn't lose because Lebron didn't have a good enough supporting cast. We BARELY lost in '09 because of a combination our coach's inability to adjust to Orlando's big wing players on defense, an amazing display of 3 point shooting, and a lack of long wing defenders.

    We lost in '10 for one reason only: Lebron James choked and quit. I'm so sick of hearing how bad his supporting cast was last year. That team was f***ing loaded. They had shooting, playmakers, long defenders, depth in the post, veterans, youth, and, most importantly, a superstar. Name me one team that we couldn't match up with?

    Also, I'd really love to hear what, exactly, Danny Ferry could have done differently. Please… I'd really like to know. As far as I'm concerned, Ferry was one of, if not THE best GM in the NBA for about a 2-3 year stretch before he left Cleveland.

  • Justin

    Taking the conversation in a bit of a different direction…

    "…his former GM's personnel moves, the ones that left James without a supporting cast to match the sort of outfits that helped Kobe Bryant(notes) and Dwyane Wade win rings, had just about everything to do with LeBron taking his talents to South Beach."

    -This type of thinking really pisses me off to no end. I need to clear up some misinformed opinions here… We didn't lose because Lebron didn't have a good enough supporting cast. We BARELY lost in '09 because of a combination our coach's inability to adjust to Orlando's big wing players on defense, an amazing display of 3 point shooting, and a lack of long wing defenders.

    We lost in '10 for one reason only: Lebron James choked and quit. I'm so sick of hearing how bad his supporting cast was last year. That team was f***ing loaded. They had shooting, playmakers, long defenders, depth in the post, veterans, youth, and, most importantly, a superstar. Name me one team that we couldn't match up with?

    Also, I'd really love to hear what, exactly, Danny Ferry could have done differently. Please… I'd really like to know. As far as I'm concerned, Ferry was one of, if not THE best GM in the NBA for about a 2-3 year stretch before he left Cleveland.

  • jimkanicki

    well frownie.. looks like your blog is reaching a wider audience.

    http://twitter.com/#!/cavsdan/status/26243762566

    (why do i stir this up? go browns!)

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