Lebron Doing the Stupid Crown Gesture as the Crowd Cheers for Someone Else is Peak Lebron

What a special, special moment this was. The French might not have the best history when it comes to kings necessarily, but here they recognize the one true monarch of the entire world. With the US clinging to a 34-point lead over Brazil with 3:00 to go, they let King James know how much they respect him. They couldn't have expressed their love for him any more if they gently laid hands upon his shoulders and affectionately kissed both cheeks. As they chanted "Lebron! Lebron!," in the international language of admiration, he rewarded their fealty with his signature "crowning" gesture. It was a beautiful thing to behold

Except that none of that happened. Aside from the part where the basketball fans of France got a first hand lesson in what a raging narcissist the guy is. 

Daily Mail - LeBron James is used to being admired, and wrongly thought more love from the Paris crowd during Monday's Olympic quarterfinal victory over Brazil was coming his way from the bench. 

As James took to the bench for the rest of the American's blowout victory over Brazil, the crowd cheering loudly, with cameras on him. James motioned to put an imaginary crown on his head. 

However, the cheers were for someone in the crowd the French have come to adore in the last few weeks, swimmer Léon Marchand. ...

James was unaware of Marchand being in the crowd and continued to pose for the cameras while the swimmer stood up to greet the crowd's admiration. ...

Marchand competed in five events at the Olympics, winning four gold medals and one bronze. 

Marchand's performances in his home country have made him one of the integral performers at this summer's Olympics, more prominent in France than James himself.  

"More prominent in France than James himself"? Ya think? The French home team is third in the medal count with 48, 13 of them Gold. Meaning Marchand by himself is responsible for over 10% of their total and over 38% of their Golds. Making him the second most popular French athlete behind only the guy with the humongous wang:

Lebron meanwhile was responsible for 12 points and 3 rebounds in a game that wouldn't have been in doubt if he'd stayed in his hotel ordering room service escargot and watching Marseille. But sure, the crowd couldn't miss what for many of them will be their last chance to leap to their feet and chant his legendary name. But with a thick accent that only made it sound like "Leon! Leon!" 

Here's a video that's somehow managed to stay one step ahead of the Olympics' Copyright Secret Police. I hope you can catch it before it's just a blank grey rectangle:

I'd say it's so second-hand embarrassing as to give you a full-body cringe. But we all figured out 10 years ago at least that Lebron is incapable of embarrassment. He's too much of a smug, self-infatuated, vainglorious egomaniac to even know what that emotion feels like. It would never occur to anyone who's wired they way he is that there could be someone else in a 20,000 seat arena worthy of applause. Not even when he's in a city hosting the world's biggest event. He's the sports equivalent of the people who post impossible stories about themselves or their kids that end with, "The whole store erupted in applause." And the hard part for the rest of us is deciding whether to laugh at how ridiculous they are, or insulted that they think we're buying what they're selling. 

All you can do with this buffoon is add this incident to the immense pile of preening, self-indulgent moments he's given us in the past. My favorites are all still from his big Literati Era, when he was always getting intentionally caught on camera reading a book. Like the time in Boston when he casually walked past the ESPN camera with his nose in The Godfather. On like Page 3 or 4. Because that's what true bibliophiles do; they start a 50 year old novel during a five minute bus ride from the hotel. That was vintage Lebron and I'll never forget it.

Because whether he's facing a playoff rival or mailing it in against an overmatched opponent in an Olympic quarterfinal, the one common factor always remains the same: Everything is always about Lebron.