>

As one undefeated and undisputed UFC fighter once put it, “Lebrons a nerd”
The only reason people have this unrealistic, mythical view of Jordan is because he was in the pre-social media era. He had full control over his own image. >

Very true but he really was black Jesus in terms of how good he was at basketball. >

I mean that’s really it. He was a degenerate gambler and a complete asshole. But watching him especially as a kid in growing up in Chicago in the 90s felt like this religious experience. It defied everything. >

Does gambling make you a bad person? >

When you gamble like Jordan did, absolutely no question lmao >

Why ? As long as he could afford it >

Ask his dad >

His dad’s death had nothing to do with his gambling, so why would I? >

Isnt it a conspiracy theory that his gambling debt was the reason his father was murdered.
I wouldnt put it past Jordan to associate with those kind of people , everything you ever hear about him in his personal life revolves around how much of an asshole he was to everyone and they all just accepted it because he could play basketball really well and was well connected because of his fame. >

If his dad was killed it was over money, at what point was Jordan even close to broke enough to let his dad die...
He was worth 77 million in 93 and some of you are insisting he couldn't pay a gambling debt... this is laughably stupid.
This theory is so braindead >

This comment section is weird >

Lebron haters salivating at their opportunity to complain >

It's not even specifically Lebron haters, and I know I'll be downvoted for this but...
It's the same breed of Redditor who shows up here for threads like "Beyonce is full of herself" or "Cardi B/Nikki Minaj is actually ugly" or "Mumble rap is the worst music ever invented."
There's a certain persistent discourse on this site about very famous, very well-liked Black people who mostly just mind their own business.
Edit: Reply notifications are turned off on this post. Go write about it in your diary if you’re offended about something here. >

Nosey Lebron voiced support for chinas oppression of Hong Kong.
I grant that you said mostly, and i acknowledge this wasnt your main point. >

So, LeBron is pro-China, but the other 360 players in the NBA are anti-China? >

Lebron's opinion matters, no one cares what the Morris twins views on China are >

What is your standard for cool lmao. Lebron has virtually no scandals, he’s a family man who keeps his nose clean. Dude built a whole ass school for at risk kids in his hometown and is paying for their college 
Jordan cheated on his wife, was an absolute douchebag to his teammates, and a degenerate gambling addict
Kobe very well might have been a rapist, also a douchebag towards teammates 
Magic was cool >

Lebrons "family man" persona is fake as hell. His best accomplishment was buying off the sports media. >

Didn't he get caught sleeping with instagram models over and over lol. >

Sure did. The family man persona was created his last year in Miami. They did the whole "I'm coming home" campaign leading up to his return to Cleveland. They began painting him as a family man that just wanted to be back in Akron. All BS. >

Please understand that many teammates of Kobe and Jordan have nothing but negative things to say about their personalities. >

Also let's not forget that Kobe committed and admitted to sexual assault. >

Yep. Not very cool >

Exactly, not cool at all. But people downvote whenever someone brings it up because how dare anyone point that out. >

It blows my mind how many people just don't acknowledge it >

Because people idolize them and are so caught up in their false perception they refuse to see reality. >

When you get put on a pedestal at an early age, and never get taken off, your personality can develop in two ways. You can think of yourself as a god, and get caught up in your ego, or you can become kindof a square as you are isolated from your peers. All three of your cool guys were the former. Lebron is the latter. Everyone has their own definition of cool, but to me, the fact that Lebron has been in the spotlight for his entire life, and never shown anyone a reason to stop believing in his character is about as cool as it gets. >

Good points, well-argued. >

Jokic tho. Definitely cool >

Really classy >

A guy I'd let my daughter date >

Pretty scrappy guy, really hard working >

first in, last out kinda guy >

He's been an uber celebrity since he was like 14 years old. He isn't going to be the most relatable person.
He also dedicates his life to the sport and is a family man. He's uncool in a similar way that a Tom Brady is. >

Why does dedicating your life to your craft and your family mean uncool? If he was doing drugs and getting into trouble then that would be cool huh >

Understandable. He is human too, cant please everyone. We dont own celebrities and we cant expect them to be in the mood at all times >

I agree. I’ve never met him so I don’t have a valid opinion, and I have nothing against him. Just added that 2 cents because it seemed relevant >

Lebron might not be cool but at least he seems like a nice human being. There are plenty of people saying Jordan was a piece of trash as a person >

Yes seems real nice.. just don't ask him any opinions on the CCP. >

Who cares about his opinion on CCP. He’s not a political advisor. >

Than he shouldn’t act like one… >

He doesn’t. He’s free to voice his opinion like anyone else. >

I think he’s cool because he stayed relatively drama free for his upbringing and fame. 
No dad. Single mom. Super stardom as an early adult. But never cheated or anything. The ppl OP listed who were “cool” were cheaters
Edit: not to mention his kids seem to be doing well also as he is involved in their future. You don’t see them acting like spoiled brats >

Cheaters? Like on their significant others or in the game? >

Like infidelity >

Didn’t Jordan have some gambling allegations?
I thought that’s why he went to baseball. >

Yes he did >

Ah ty, was that ever definitely proven? >

It's proven that he had gambling problems. Whether or not his stint in baseball was a shadow-ban or not is unproven. >

Gotcha, appreciate it. >

What does “cool” mean to you? >

Ice cold >

okay but what’s cooler than being cool? >

ICE COLD >

alright alright alright alright etc. >

Alright now fellas >

Even NBA fans call him a wine mom. Nobody thinks LeBron is "cool". That said, out of everyone you listed, LeBron is by far the best role model for young kids. 
A whole generation and then some has grown up idolizing a corny dude who has never once had a scandal. As of now, he is not known to have any random children, any substance abuse issues, always a present father, successful in multiple endeavors outside of basketball, no legal trouble, no assault allegations. All the others you mentioned had one of these issues. 
LeBron is cringe but I love what a stand up dude he is, especially for the amount of fame and money he has. We need more dorks. >

Not to mention all his charity work and how much of his own money he puts back into the community and to help underprivileged kids.
The guy is the best role model the NBA could’ve hoped for. >

Yeah being a CCP Shill will never be cool >

I swear y'all hyperfixate on like four different markers of morality and nothing else.
Edit: Let me me just clarify that it's of course wrong to support the CCP. I'm not brushing that aside. I'm saying you're talking about a dude who by all accounts is a great father, a great competitor, never known to hurt anyone, a philanthropist, a community builder, someone who became very famous as a teenager crowned the future GOAT of basketball and never let it go to his head, exceeding all expectations placed on him, but every single time he's mentioned on this website all of that is entirely ignored to zero in on one boneheaded opinion he holds. Yet you same people will be back on this same subreddit later today to talk about how bad cancel culture is. There is more to a person's humanity than the very small handful of shit Redditors seem to be obsessed with. >

Yeah hitler was a great painter idk why people hyperfixate on one thing
See how dumb you are >

Comparing Lebron James to Hitler is wild man. >

I never compared hitler to lebron, if you used ur brain for a second i just used him as an extreme example to show 1 thing is all it takes to dislike someone >

Lol of course it’s easy when you change that 1 thing to committing the holocaust >

Yeah and if ur from Hong Kong its very easy to hate lebron. Whats ur point >

You replied to me… >

Yeah and then u replied to me with 0 brain power saying i said lebron is like hitler, and now this is where we are at. How lost r u right now >

k >

If you say to the public "I'm the GOAT" several times and look for approval, you're not cool. >

Didn’t Michael Jordan make an entire documentary about how he’s basically the greatest basketball player ever? >

Michael Jordan was and is an asshole. The documentary played it down but trust me Michael Jordan is one of the biggest assholes out there... one waitress was quoted saying that Michael Jordan said her tip was that she got to serve him.... no joke... Charles Barkley went back in and tipped her properly and apologized
Just go watch a Kwame brown documentary. Jordan killed his whole career while he was with the wizards, asshole through and through. And he got caught gambling on his own games but was the face of the association so they told him to leave and he pretended it was because his dad wanted him to play baseball... it wasn't it was because it was a suspension of sorts that also saved saying it was. The NBA needed Jordan and were in big trouble until he came. The whole thing stinks >

Charles Barkley seems like a real down-to-earth cool guy who just throws money around to people all the time I've never heard a story of him stiffing someone I only ever hear stories of him giving people huge tips >

Shaq came into a restaurant I worked at, and was crumpling up 20's and having the waiters hold glasses for him to shoot at. They made a ton off him, he was cool. >

Because he probably kept crumpling up 20s until he made a free throw >

sounds more like a $20 throw than a free throw >

Kobe was not cool >

Kobe was cool except when he raped that woman >

See you over at r/nbacirclejerk >

Fair. >

Up until January 25th 2020. Kobe was considered a selfish ball-hogging rapist. >

Virtually all the evidence pointed towards it being a false accusation. >

At absolute best he was cheating on his wife with a minor. There is no scenario where it doesn't make him a horrible person, the question is just how horrible. >

From what ive seen it says she was 19 with him being 24 or 25 or smth so yeah. >

Jordan was a rude gambling addict who drove his teammates nuts, Kobe was this prototypical selfish player who looked out for his stats mostly and had a few scandals, magic Johnson fucked a lot but otherwise was great. Most of these guys aren’t cool either, lebron is just a dude playing basketball better than anyone else. And that’s fine >

Bro really said Magic had sex alot like he committed a crime or something >

Define cool >

Not sure how tangible the concept is. But it’s something related to their senses of self. Bron always seems like he’s looking for approval/attention. Jordan, Kobe wanted your attention, but it was more that that – they grabbed it.
You see it in other players’ reactions to Jordan and Kobe – they’re idolized by them. Players respect Bron, but they don’t light up when asked about him or when telling their stories about him (generally).
Perhaps a simpler tell is just their hair. Jordan and Kobe ultimately just shaved they’re heads. Bron got… plugs, I guess? >

You’re reaching hard when you resort to amount of hair >

Yea this is corny lol >

Being a narcissistic, philandering douchebag = cool.
Got it. Every story I’ve ever heard about Jordan makes him sound like the most insufferable jackass in history. And Kobe… >

Kobe wasn't cool, he ass raped a 19 year old and dated underage girls >

Akronites will definitely think this is unpopular! >

I guess I don’t understand what “cool” means.  Kobe was an asshole while he played and very publicly cheated (at best) on his wife and possibly sexually assaulted someone.  It wasn’t until he retired when he relaxed and became a beloved basketball voice/mind.  
Michael Jordan was and still is a huge asshole with an equally huge gambling addiction.  Obviously addiction is it’s own beast so while I try not to judge others for their demons, addiction isn’t something I’d consider “cool”.   
There’s quite a few differences between those two and Lebron.  Mainly, we have the convenience of hindsight with Kobe and MJ’s playing careers.  We know that them “assholing” made them very effective winners.  With that hindsight, we also know Lebron has never even been accused of sexual assault.  He hasn’t even been accused of adultery.  We know he is not (publicly anyway) a gambling addict.  We know he’s avoided all of those pitfalls while being the face of the NBA for two decades and being a millionaire since he was 18.  
Yes he’s done unlikable things like “The Decision”.  And he failed to point out the atrocities in China while being very outspoken about other social issues (that also need fixing btw).  Plus people just get sick of the same people winning.  But I have no idea why someone would think he’s not “cool” while the other two are.  LeBron is far closer to being a trustworthy role model than any athlete’s ever been.  That’s pretty cool to me, even if I’ll never root for him as a basketball player. >

LeBron is a role model, he has cringe clips of him mumbling to songs he doesn’t know the lyrics to, gets his hairline clowned, etc. He’s never been in a real scandal, treats fans and especially children with the utmost respect and is easily the most approachable compared to other basketball greats at his level. That to me is worth a lot more than being “cool.” >

Jordan is notorious for being an absolute asshole. Take your dumb imagination elsewhere 😂 >

Lebron: built a school in his hometown = NOT COOL 😡
Jordan: Gambles and an asshole = WOW THIS GUY IS SO COOL
Kobe: Verbally abused teammates during practice = Mamba Mentality, SO COOL >

I think a big part of that is 2 things:
1)  LeBron specifically wanted to be a family man from an early age.  He's always been all about wanting a stable family life as kind of an answer to the thing he never had for himself as a kid living in projects raised by a single mom, moving around, always being on the cusp of ruin.
2)  His entire life has basically been about him understanding that he has this gift that will take him anywhere he wants to go as long as he doesn't fuck it up.  When you're on the cover of SI at like 15 years old and you're already being crowned as "the next Jordan", I think it changes you from an "I have to make it" mindset to a "Don't screw this up" mindset, which made him risk averse. >

I dont think being cool is on LeBron's agenda. >

Kobe was a rapist in what world is that cool? >

I didn't know anyone thought Kobe was cool. Kobe was only ever talent, and people overlooked his off-court shit because they wanted their team to win. 
Shaq was the cool dude on the Lakers. >

exactly! like i remember kobe only being praised for his game quality and maybe giving away some game shoes every now and then? but shaq?? he was the man! just a big goof trying to rap while not going to practice? kobe was too stoic and focused, which is good on court, but not so personable >

Idk man he can dunk and if you can dunk you gotta be at least a little cool. >

And he dunks it very cool too >

Keeping Jordan out of the equation.
Yes, I agree. Lebron seems pretty uncool. 
I’m sure he’s a nice dude, family man etc and that’s obviously the most important thing he can be.
But cool, nah. >

I laughed when Lebron couldn’t play one night.  The arenas A/C wasn’t working right and he was too hot. Lol
A month ago a hockey player took a puck to the balls. Blew a nut. He finished the game then went to the hospital. >

That’s a silly reason to not play, but I also think that continuing to play with a destroyed testicle is just kind of insane.  Yes the pain tolerance must be very high, but…  I dunno.  It just doesn’t sit right with me, but it’s their choice. >

I'm definitely not seeing the honor in that unless it's some kind of championship or otherwise once in a lifetime event. Just go get your ball fixed befire you do more damage so you can heal up and be 100% sooner. >

Yeah why are we praising a dude for finishing a game w ruptured balls? That’s just so stupid >

Lebron is just kind of boring. He grew up with everyone worshipping him so he never really had to develop much of a personality. He's also got that obsessive drive personality trait that allows him to focus on just one thing and nothing else-- and someone who only cares about basketball is pretty boring.
Now he's on his whole "billionaire mogul" journey so he has to be as anodyne and inoffensive as possible. Every move and word is calculated to maximize $$$ and not alienate anyone. I mean, is Jeff Bezos cool? Is Bill Gates? That's basically who Lebron's peers (and role models) are now.
That being said, with all of the money and fame, he never seemed to let it go to his head-- no stories of him cheating or acting a fool in general, which is commendable. (Though again, I think that's mostly because he's just preternaturally boring at his core lol.) >

love this thread because everyone knows lebron personally >

LeBestFriend >

He was a bad tipper in 2010 >

Normalize goofy ass celebrities >

I'll do you one better. NBA players aren't cool. They are just people playing games. >

Jordan was an asshole. How anyone can watch that special and not come away with that conclusion is beyond me >

Jordan is a complete asshole,Kobe was a cheat and a rapist,Magic literally got AIDS while cheating on his wife. Bron is cooler than all those chumps combined. >

Kobe was not exactly a role model. Literally did the black mamba thing to avoid his rape allegations. >

Was Kobe cool when he sexually assaulted a 19yr old and settled the case out of court? >

Lakers fan here.
i (think) i appreciate lebron's talent, athleticism, and his rightful place in NBA history.
i just never connected with him, and i think much of that has to do with his personality and his style of playing.
he puts up big numbers consistently but does it quietly. guys like kobe, AI, and d wade played with finesse.
as much as i think westbrook's a cancer on our current roster, he has personality and when he plays well, he's fun to watch. can't really say the same for lebron. lebron kind of clocks in, does his thing, and clocks out.
i also think his antagonism with kareem is a bit telling. he didn't like that kareem criticized him over his comments re: COVID. lebron was very dismissive and flippant about kareem's criticism. if kareem were some rando that would be understandable. but kareem is an NBA and Laker legend, intellectual and writer. lebron paid him no deference because he lacks humility and deep respect for the basketball org he plays for.
lebron is a great Laker but he's not a Laker great. >

How does LeBron lack humility and respect ? He responded to Kareem and didn't insult him or anything it was about a meme nothing to cause a fuss about >

I don't think this qualifies as an unpopular opinion. >

Michael jordan is a huge asshole. He's not cool in the slightest. And kobe? Let's not get into his sorted past. Lebron has had a pretty perfect career with zero issues outside of being cringe sometimes. Also wtf does cool even mean anymore? >

"you guys just don't understand. My sneakers are definitely not made in a sweatshop and you really shouldn't say mean things about the CCP because they make me a lot of money"
~lebron >

Where do you think Jordans and Kobes come from? They all got paid by Nike >

How is this an unpopular opinion? Since the day he left high school, the whole narrative about him has been "he'll never be as good as Jordan!" I don't know if anyone's ever held him up as a mantle of cool.
The fact you're lumping Kobe in with Jordan/Lebron (Kobe is not a Top 5 all time NBA player and was never close to one), and most people won't bat an eye at it further proves your opinion isn't an unpopular one at all... >

Thank you. I have always felt Kobe is hugely overrated and isn't close to being in the GOAT debate. >

I agree with this.  But LeBron is so much better than all of them in terms of being a good person. >

LeBron James is 0-74 in the finals
1946-1983: Too lazy to even be born
1984-2003: Too lazy to even show up
2003-2005: Missed playoffs
2006-2011: Lost
2012: Baby Thunder
2013: Ray Allen
2014/2015: Lost
2016: Injured Warriors
2017/2018: Lost
2019: Missed playoffs
2020: Mickey Mouse Summer League Ring >

Someone must have found Air Judden's page, lol. >

He’s not paid to meet your personal definition of cool. He is paid to put a ball through a hoop. He does that well. He is also paid to represent products and increase sales. I’ve heard no complaints on that front either. >

He’s cringe as fuck >

LeMeme >

Jordan was asshole and still is, but I agree with magic and Kobe.  I’ve met Jordan twice in my life and each time he’s been nothing but a scumbag. >

Kobe was cool? Bruh. I guess everyone interprets being „cool“ different >

Don’t ask Kobe what happened in Colorado >

Bro wtf only headass fucking cringe super fan types like Lebron. He’s a clown on and off the court. Just look at his twitter. >

I thought this was r/unpopularopinion? >

No single human that’s currently alive is perfect. We’re not angels. Lebron James is great at basketball. Whenever I hear his name it’s in reference to basketball, which he’s great at and has authority to speak on. He keeps his mouth shut about most everything else. He just hoops. Will he occasionally say things I don’t agree with? Absolutely! 99.99% of humans will. All humans are born with a built in flaw. I like lebron cause he’s fun to watch hoop. If I don’t like the shit he says I ignore it and chalk it up to him being a dumb jock. If he’s not hooping idgaf what he’s up to honestly. We gotta stop with this whole perfection or nothing society we’re living in. Everyone just try your best when ya can. If you don’t have anything nice to say just stfu. Distract yourself with something on your phone and move on >

I don’t disagree with most of that. But you may want to unsubscribe from this subreddit…. >

Does he have to be this perfect human specimen that excels every expectation you have for him? He doesn’t exist to please you… >

I agree 100%. Used to love him and then he sold out to make his career easier >

Allen Iverson is way cooler than Lebron >

Iverson would have been Reddit’s most hated player if he came up in this day and age lmao >

No one ever said he was.
He's completely cringe. This is not an unpopular opinion at all. >

listen, however you feel about the tory lanez/megan thee stallion thing, I think we can all agree it was corny as hell to pretend to vibe to tory lanez' low quality music to support him >

LeBron is a dedicated family man who gives back to his community in novel ways.  He's cool in my book.
Jordan often turned his back on taking a political stand, siding instead with money. >

You put more effort into 4 other men's level of cool in this post than I've put into professional sports in the last 4 decades. You win! You're cool! >

I saw a video of him working out and it made me think of Achilles. It was incredible. I thought that was pretty cool. >

Of all of those guys. Magic is coolest by far without question.
Kobe and Jordan by all accounts were kinda jerks… >

OP likes the bad boys >

He UN ironically thinks he invented the concept of taco Tuesday and that concept was so cool and original that it was worth pursing a trademark.  He probably thinks his tired dad jokes are original too. >

I kinda feel the same way, No hate against Lebron, I just don’t always understand why he’s so famous >

Kobe seemed...not cool.
LeBron is cool, for sure. >

When the heck was Magic cool? The reason he got that name was to try and make him cool. >

LeBron is cool like Drake/Justin Timberlake/Pharell/Gwen Stefani are cool -- which is to say only cool for people who just landed on planet earth and are looking around for the textbook definition without any real taste of their own. (Beiber, TSwift, MGK, etc.). Like cool for people who don't want to make decisions. Basic cool. 
Seems like Hip Hop/NBA culture has gotten so good at a certain thing that it's completely lost its edge. People who never make mistakes or never say the wrong thing aren't cool. >

What? He’s convinced other superstars to join him in super teams more than once, and he’s never had any scandals or drama. LeBron James is about the coolest individual in the history of the NBA. >

Larry Bird was cooler than all three of them. >

None of these dudes are as “cool” as Bill Walton. >

What made Jordan or Kobe cool? >

What makes you say they are cool? Jordan and Kobe are assholes, Kobe slightly less so. And Magic is an airhead who just happens to have style. When I think of cool nba player I think of Giannis or Shaq >

If you want something crazy look up Lebrun James lying… dude can’t keep a story straight lol >

Well said >

LeBron is also a CCP shill.