NBA

LeBron James Has A Tattoo That Says “Loyalty.” Do With That Information What You Will.

LeBron James took a trip to the Bahamas with his girlfriend, and, as one usually does at the beach, decided to take his shirt off. Unfortunately for him one of his tattoos was on display, its meaning standing in stark contrast to some of his recent actions.

Yes, that’s the word “loyalty” going along his rib cage.

It really is amazing how far we’ve come with this guy. Going into the 2010 Playoffs, he was riding an unprecedented wave of goodwill and unanimously referred to as the “best basketball player on the planet.” All of LeBron’s shortcomings – his constant barking at officials, that omnipresent scowl – were overlooked because he was just physically superior to anyone on an NBA roster. In short, his entitlement was excused because we thought it was there for good reason.

One subpar Game 5 and hour-long ESPN special later, LeBron is a true villain. Think about that for a second. Everything about him – trips to friend’s weddings, this picture – will now be viewed through a lens of bitterness and cynicism that 3 months ago would have seemed incompatible, to say the least.

I’m not saying LeBron should be treated with such vitriol, nor am I saying he shouldn’t. I’m just marveling at the fact that he is.

[Photo via TMZ]