We Might Be Doomed As A Society After A Bunch Of Fans In Toronto Showed Up Outside A Restaurant Just To Watch LeBron James Eat

Andrew D. Bernstein. Getty Images.

All things considered, it's probably pretty damn sweet to be LeBron. You're rich as all hell, you're largely considered one of if not the greatest basketball players to ever walk this earth, and you're still damn good at your sport despite being 38 and entering Year 21 in the NBA with no real signs of true decline. 

But as one of the most famous athletes and most recognizable people on the planet, I imagine there are some downsides as well. People pay attention to literally everything you do. Everywhere you go, it's a big deal. Personally, that sounds like absolute hell. On some level, I think it's fair to suggest that LeBron seeks out and craves the attention, but there are also times when I'm sure he just wants to live like a normal human and do normal human things, like go out to eat.

Unfortunately for LeBron, apparently that's a spectator sport as well 

At this point, I doubt LeBron even notices stuff like this given how long he's been in the spotlight, but it still has to be so weird. You look up from taking a drink of water and there are all these people standing on the other side of the street just….watching you eat? I'd love to talk to the people there and ask them what goes through their minds here. What's the end game? Getting an autograph? A picture? Taking a picture and putting it out on social to go viral? LeBron inviting you to join?

On some level I get it, part of the reason I like going to Summer League so much is the people watching. Seeing NBA stars from 2 feet away while we're all in a small gym watching basketball is part of the fun. But at least in that setting, we're all there for the same thing. Stalking someone outside of a restaurant just to get a look/take a picture feels a little different to me.

It also made me think about that quote from LeBron back in February

Yeah, nobody is really going to feel sorry for LeBron not being able to do regular people shit as a tradeoff for being a billionaire, but that also doesn't mean LeBron isn't an actual person. I think it's fair to acknowledge that aspect might be annoying as shit, but it's still probably worth having a billion in your bank account. Life is all about tradeoffs. 

For example, as a nobody, I can go wherever I please without interruption. Nobody is pulling up to a restaurant when I'm on the patio. Nobody was hounding me when I went to Target yesterday to get a pack of AAA batteries. Pretty sure nobody gave a shit when I was in the grocery store either. In my opinion, being able to navigate the world without being bothered is one of life's great pleasures. There was that one guy during Summer League who recognized me and asked for a picture, and even that was enough to make me wildly uncomfortable. At the same time, I also do not have a billion dollars. I imagine that would be pretty sweet. 

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There are probably a thousand different things that separate LeBron from the rest of us normal nonfamous and nonbillionaire people, but at the end of the day I feel confident in saying it's a relief I'll never have to worry about a bunch of random people showing up at a restaurant just to watch me eat, so whose life would you really rather have?

Yeah, it's still probably the one where you're one of the best basketball players ever and have a billion dollars while doing shit like this