Mike James is “Unstable”

Why doesn’t the agent Mike James tell his client to shut up? After posting career numbers this season James should have been inline for a huge pay day but instead his diarrhea of the mouth during the past couple of months will likely cost himself millions of dollars. This weekend James put yet another dent in his market value by trying telling the Globe and Mail that he is not “unstable” like his critics would want you to believe but then later in the same interview he boasts that he can now “wipe himself” with his left hand.

For some reason James sent Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail an email on his Blackberry where he rambles on and on about his offseason training program and how he’s happy with his life, marriage and family… and that he’s not unstable.

The interview starts off rocky when James starts talking about how his critics are claiming that he is now unstable. James tries to clear up the misconception by saying that, “its hard when u r misunderstood and everybody thinks u r unstable. I have 2 kids, my wife is pregnant now and I love my family, but I’m unstable. I’ve been married in a time when the marriage failure rate is well above half and I have been happily married for almost 8 yrs but I’m unstable. My daughter is 3 and knows how 2 have a conversation with u and is speaking proper english, but I’m unstable.”

The interview continues to spiral out of control when James starts to talk about his training program for this summer. James tells Grange that he plans on boxing to help improve his offhand. Sounds good, right? Sure, if you are anyone but Mike James. He told Grange that, “”My left was terrible in the beginning but now its getting stronger. I’m startin 2 give my left hand more responsibilities, brushing my teeth, wipin myself, all in the effort 2 b a better ball player.”

Wow, good for you Mike! You sound like that four-year old kid Julian ‘Frankenstien’ McGrath in Big Daddy who runs around near the end of the movie “but I can wipe my own ass! But I can wipe my own ass!”

As a reporter for my university paper I never had to deal with something like this so I have to give Grange his props for how he dealt with this. He started off the piece by writing a glowing review of James and strictly cut and paste parts of the email from James into the article. He somehow manages to not say anything negative about James so that he can maintain his relationship with the player, yet he also gives readers a great glimpse into how “unstable” James actually is.

I’ve been a huge fan of James since he arrived in Toronto but I wish he would just play ball and keep his mouth shut. When he first showed up I loved listening to his post game quotes because he brought a unique, honest perspective to how athletes deal with being in the limelight of the NBA.

Now he simply looks like yet another arrogant and selfish player who is just trying to “get his” while he can.

He has the talent to be one of the top guards in the League but it seems as if his ego will derail his chances of bringing the promise to fruition.