It is an interesting idea to bring up for argument, but in the end if you watch more of his games you will see that the way he plays defense it does not make him likely to get called for any fouls. He does pick up a fair share of offensive fouls himself (23.5% of his fouls are offensive, compared to 10.1% for Wade), which shows how this all relates to his defensive positioning. LeBron is a sneaky player, and usually only pokes his hand on defense when it is a low-risk, high-reward gamble that could possibly lead to a fast break. In addition, the vast majority of his 91 blocks (60 to be exact) have come from right in close to the basket, mostly on fast break situations as well.

The crab dribble was a travel. That Pacers game was officiated correctly. I’ll never understand how Brown and James protested that last foul when they got the EXACT same call on the other end.

Smith’s article focused on LeBron’s defense, not offense. I don’t see a lot of favoritism toward LeBron’s defense. He doesn’t reach and he very rarely contests shots head on. He likes to contest shots from behind, and he avoids a lot of fouls that way.

Offensively, I’m sure it’s tough to officiate LeBron. He’s similar to Shaq in the sense that it takes a lot to knock him off course or stop him from finishing at the rim.

But LeBron gets away with some stuff too. He initiates contact by lowering his shoulder to create separation before finishing. He does that A LOT and he very rarely gets whistled for the offensive foul.

Watch his defense on Tony Parker yesterday. Tony kept jacking up shots over him.

I really hate articles like this. The numbers are great, it’s an interesting read, and yet he has to make statements like “LeBron is the most protected player of all time.”

Really?? 99% of people’s hatred towards LeBron has nothing to do with LeBron, it has to do with “he’s overhyped”, “he’s overrated”, “he hasn’t done anything yet” “he’s just the NBA’s poster boy”

Obviously I’m a homer here, but when I watch the Cavs I simply cannot understand how Lebron drives to the hoop and gets bodied by 3 or 4 guys and hangs in the air and gets hit again and yells out loud and his headband is knocked off his head and there’s no call. It happens…A LOT. A poster child would get a whistle. Lebron doesn’t. It’s like hack a shaq with him, yet enough writers and annoying fans write enough stuff about lebron getting away with murder that it becomes universally accepted….

I don’t believe that Lebron gets Preferential treatment at all – simply because refs allow other teams so much body contact on LeBron at the other end. I watch guys like Gilbert Arenas, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, and Chauncey billups run into defenders 30 feet from the hoop and flail their head back or fall to one knee (while keeping their dribble) and the refs blow the whistle. LeBron gets body contact from 2 to 3 defenders every time he makes a move with the ball and the refs swallow their whistles. LeBron tries to sell fouls by yelling and giving mad stares after a play. But he doesn’t flop. I keep waiting for him to do it to. Everytime I see him grab his eye and wince in pain, I think…he’s faking. Then they show the replay and sure enough, he got wacked in the face.

Also, watch the end of the Cavs loss against the Pacers and tell me that Lebron gets love from the refs. what about the crab dribble? The NBA has taken away two games from the Cavs this season in end game situations by calling LeBron for questionable stuff.

I think LeBron staying out of foul trouble is more of his penchant for not fouling than referees swallowing their whistles BECAUSE it’s LeBron.

There’s no doubt in my mind that LeBron receives preferential treatment. All stars get the benefit of the doubt. I probably should have titled this differently.

As far as LeBron being “protected,” I don’t know if I believe that. I rarely see James foul players in the act of shooting (which is fairly easy to detect) and he’s done an excellent job of moving his feet on defense this season.

Still, it’s hard to believe that he went five games without committing a foul.