Water Cooler:Was it classless or unsporting that LeBron James didn't shake hands after Saturday Nights Game 6?

I think it is classless somewhat, especially with his reasoning after the game. But it's blown out of proportion. I don't think it has anything to do with being a sore loser as much as it has to do with him giving a visual representation of his teammates in this series.....nowhere to be seen contributing on the court.

I have to call BS on LeBron shaking hands. If this was a HS game, or a Youth Game, any non-professional game, I would expect the hand shake. But as LeBron put it, he's paid lots of money, and puts lots of passion and emotion into obtaining a goal. When you fall far short of that goal, and get your ass handed to you in the process, you shouldn't be required to in that highly emotional state shake hands.

This isn't even to mention that Dwight Howard threw up that BS 3 at the end of regulation and caught a glare from LeBron that we usually only see Kobe shoot at Vlad Radmonovic. LeBron was exhausted, emotional, and pissed off, I'm glad he removed himself from a situation that he could of only effected in a negative fashion.

I hated that all the ESPN talk shows other then Mike Tirico demanded that LeBron shake hands with (of all people) Dwight Howard after the game. Now I only played NCAA level sports, but even at that level if I get beat down by another team and then they toss it to their center to chuck up a "blow me" 3 pointer, I'm tell them to F-off and heading to the locker room. It's not unsporting, it's at least no more unsporting then what Dwight Howard did.

We've seen athletes do so much worse, so I don't think it's that big of a deal. That being said, he did act like a whiny brat by walking away and pouting, then not talking to the media.

I'm not saying he is a whiny brat, just that he acted like one. But it's time to get on with all of our lives.

You guys would rush off the court too, if you had to let your muppet out of the locker for air.

/Just saying

LASB, Should I even answer this one? :P

Anyway, I didn't lose respect for Lebron, I am kind of with Rawb on this, it's nothing to crucify the guy but it was a bit amateur-ish of him. But hey what's done is done.

I still think that sportsmanship conduct should always be promoted.. it's what separates the men from the boys..

I am disappointed that's all..

And all in all, I think I've been defending LeBron from the over-reaction much more then I have from my own principles. As an athlete although I said I've wanted to leave the field, I never have without showing my respects. Even in matches where I haven't featured I'll go pay respects to players I admired.

Is it EVER okay in your mind, Youth, NCAA or Pro to not shake hands after the game? Why or why not?

Well, when answering a question like this, I always think to myself, "What would you do in the situation?" To me, winning and friendship/respect are almost equal (winning just a little more important). As a former team captain of Kuwait's national baseball team, if I didn't shake the opposing captain's hand, as well as the coach's hand, I'd feel like I'd be a bad sportsman and not showing enough class.

Now does this mean that I believe that LeBron is wrong for doing what he did? Of course not. It's not necessary to just walk off the court. However, it means a lot more to shake hands after a game than to not shake hands. When shaking hands, it shows the utmost respect to whoever you're shaking hands with, whether it's because they played a great game, you wishing them good luck in the NBA Finals, or maybe even just a quick congratulations for beating the team. It's a class act, always. When one doesn't do this, it's not wrong, in my opinion, because it's not necessary. I'd just feel bad if I was LeBron right now...

I don't wanna get into this (because I don't care), but I know I've got a big enough mouth that I want to say my piece.

If this were a hockey game, everyone would shake hands...or at least make the effort. The camaraderie of that sport dictates as such (though there are exceptions amongst players).

In LeBron's case A) He's 24 B) He strikes me as the kind of guy who probably went right to the shower and vomitted - sick over what just happened. I understand that.

It doesn't excuse the lack of sportsmanship but it helps you understand it. Most of you guys are young (younger than me even) - you may think you wouldn't do this or that - but you don't know until you're in that situation.

Again, it doesn't make it right, but I can empathize

LeBron James is not the first athlete in a team sport to refuse shaking hands with an opponent at the conclusion of a game/series. Bill Smith of the Islanders was notorious for refusing to shake hands - win, lose or draw. It is a matter of acting like a professional and showing respect to your opponent. Facing defeat and how to handle disappointment is part of the gig. James is a tremendous talent on the court however it appears he does have a bit of a maturation process to still complete. And this is small potatoes when compared to the past plight of his puppet colleague during that little ordeal in Colorado....

I think you should shake hands with your opponent. Ideally, it would be out of respect for a well fought match, but that respect must come from within. If you can't do that, just go through the motions if you must. At least that will be an indication of professionalism.

I'm concerned with how he (and others) have tried to justify his actions by saying that he is a passionate competitor therefore he is somehow excused. Does that mean that everybody who shakes hands are somehow less competitive than LeBron James? Not likely. They're just more mature.

This is why the "debate" section is awesome and can really help support this site.

I know this is already written but special thanks to False Prophet and others for creating this new AGM feature. The comments and ideas expressed on this thread are also quite impressive.

Yeah I'm really happy with the way this is turning out. Another 1-2 of these type of debates and I'll talk with wikia.

Anyways, here's my take:

What Lebron did was poor sportmanship. No question. However, in the same way that I didn't mind that Belichick did the same thing, I don't blame Lebron. Both of them chose to remove themselves from a very emotional and heated situation (and what was more classless was that 3 pointer. That shit is disgusting) instead of letting it escalate into something bigger.

Also, Lebron is 24, and is one of the faces of the NBA. I mean, look at him. At 24 he's expected to make the Championship on his own, be the best player in the league, and show the maturity of a seasoned vet who's close to 6 years older than him. He's still basically a kid and has a ton of room to mature.

It is close to the pinnacle of poor sportsmanship. Especially considering he is one of the faces of the league. Way to go King James. You just taught a generation that if you really try hard there is no reason to man up show respect to your opponent and the game itself. But, what's worse is all of the excuse making for him. HE IS NOT A KID. He is 24. Grow up Lebron.