Shane Battier once joked that LeBron James could trend on Twitter just by sneezing, so it only seems natural that when the NBA superstar gets a little high-minded, he makes headlines. That has been the case since March 1.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading into their stretch run holding onto a three-game lead atop the Eastern Conference. Since the start of the month, James has been posting to his Twitter account more frequently, with philosophical and inspirational messages.
After his joke about the Internet's fascination with James, Battier called him the "most seminal sports figure in the information age" for his ability to generate news just by doing the things he would do otherwise.
"He is a fascinating study because he's really the first and most seminal sports figure in the information age, where everything he does is reported and dissected and second-guessed many times over, and he handles everything with an amazing grace and patience that I don't know if other superstars from other areas would have been able to handle," Battier said back in June 2012 when the Miami Heat were playing the Boston Celtics for the Eastern Conference finals.
James' social media output is typically slower during the regular season, especially during the final leg of the schedule. So naturally, his increased Twitter output warranted questions, but not just about quantity.
Structure and Consistency creates Perfection. U shortcut, u come up short! Straight Up. #DVC #SFG
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 7, 2016
The ultimate level of chemistry is when you know what I'm thinking without saying a word and we execute it. Visa Versa. #TheDC #SFG — LeBron James (@KingJames) March 5, 2016
"It's just my mind working, that's all," James said Monday after a shootaround. "I don't know if anything started it. Just my mind working. I got a beautiful mind and I want to use it sometimes in a social manner."
James has used his visibility to bring awareness to social issues he cares about, especially those concerning his hometown of Akron, Ohio. But James has seemingly changed course towards being philosophical and uplifting, using hasghtags for phrases like "strive for greatness" or "the dream continues."
"It's just who I am," James said. "It's in me. I just got an obsession about my craft and about what I do and I don't know, it's just in me. I can't explain it. And like I said, I might get a little crazy about it. But I'm happy. I love it."
