ESPN Fails To Ask LeBron James The Most Obvious Question

NBA Star Enjoys Media
Treatment Fit For A King

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

I just got done watching the third and final part of Rachel Nichols' interview with the Miami Ego Machine and I have only one thing to say: Nichols, Jim Gray and Michael Wilbon all have failed with LeBron-A-Palooza over the last week. Which means, ESPN has failed in covering perhaps its biggest story of the year.

Is anyone going to ask LeBron if he thought he could have broken Cleveland's heart without the circus? And if someone does, will he or she follow up with some much-needed pushback when he gives his emotionless PR spin that he gives every time he speaks?

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As Cleveland prints up Quitness T-shirts, the traumatized masses there and everywhere are calling James a traitor and hurling other similar insults. I'm a Cleveland native and as disappointing as this has been, my problem will never be with James' decision to leave. It's how he did it. Why hasn't he been pressed on this?

I don't forgive Gray or Wilbon, but I think Nichols is even more guilty because she interviewed LeBron -- along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- after a few days of fallout. Surely she knew what needed to be asked after countless columns (particularly scorchers from Adrian Wojnarowski, Jason Whitlock and Matt Taibbi) ripped LeBron for his tragically misguided self-celebration. And she sat down with them for presumably much more time than Gray and Wilbon had with James on the night of "The Decision."

ESPN gets most things right, but sometimes the right questions are the hard ones, and they must be asked from time to time. If you're the worldwide leader, maybe think about asking the one question to which every one of your viewers wants an answer.

Comments

[Trane]

It does not serve ESPN to ask a question about HOW he's treating Cleveland with the highly publicized exit when they are the chosen means of conveying that message.

ESPN: Why would you come on TV and break up with Cleveland in such a publicly humiliating way?

KINGERS: Waitasecguys, you're the ones that pitched this to me?

[John P. Wise]

I've heard a million contradicting stories over who approached whom. Regardless, in any kind of pre-interview agreement -- not exactly a staple of solid journalism to begin with -- ESPN should have left itself the opportunity to ask a tough question. And at some point, whether it's ESPN or the Miami Herald or any media outlet, that question must get asked.

[Ben J]

Rachel Nichols didn't ask a tough question? No way
- Jim Rome