If a professional athlete has a cramp, we should baby their hardship and celebrate how awesome they are, right?
Well that is what Huffington Post editor Dan Treadway is arguing in his June 20 article, “LeBron’s injury and why the cult of toughness in sports should end”:
On Tuesday night, LeBron James turned in another performance that only further bolstered what is shaping up to be one of the greatest collections of individual efforts in NBA Finals history. The most gifted athlete of his generation was only one rebound shy of securing a triple double in the Miami Heat’s game four victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but — as has become commonplace for James the past couple of years — his remarkable statistical output was overshadowed.
With roughly five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of the contest, James appeared to go down in pain. He would score a quick basket before being assisted off the court by teammates and trainers to tend to cramps. He would return to action briefly — hitting a crucial three-pointer — before ultimately sitting out the rest of the game while it was still in the balance. James’ injury — both the shot he made when he briefly returned to the game while still cramping, and his time on the bench during the game’s final moments — became the main topic of conversation among fans and pundits alike.
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