We all heard about their very rigid rules and regulations. When it comes to their athletes being filmed during pickup games they discourage filming… because their athletes play with less aggression in summer… even though this is the time they’re supposed to get better.

They said it’s always been their policy – in the off season – meaning any media who captures a moving human object, that belongs to them, outside of their normal confines, is subject to lose said footage. Never mind how many opportunities there are for embarrassment over the course of a season, pick-up games are a NO NO.

In our minds though, it wasn’t as much about the play, as it was the player, in the case or even myth that became Jordan Crawford.

Truth is, we’ve all seen NBA players, the best of them, get embarrassed on the floor. Whether it was Michael Jordan getting crossed up by a young A.I. or Kobe getting dropped off by Bueno Idra (sp? <– see, who cares?)… the fact is, shit happens.

Players, the best of them, get smashed on. They too, get their ankles broken. They too, get embarrassed playing as hard as they can on a given play.

And so, we’d come to accept the fact that Lebron and the powers that be at Nike would hold their position(s), stay firm in the debacle that was “Lebron getting smashed on.” But, word has it that Nike will have no part in the further destruction of “The King with no rings.”

As such, they released a statement indicating they will return the tapes they stole from two media reporters who captured footage of Lebron getting smashed on. Turns out it wasn’t and isn’t about the play or the player…

NIke’s statement read:

“It was never about the play or the player, it was always about our media policy,” Nike said. “The interest in the tapes has greatly overshadowed the focus of the camp, which is to help young athletes improve their skills, and that is regrettable. It was Nike’s decision to take these tapes based on our media guidelines, which we will continue to enforce.”

In some respects, you almost wish the JC dunk hadn’t surfaced so Lebron would be forced to deal with it all summer, grow a pair and request, no DEMAND (he is KIng right?), that Nike release the tapes.

But that would have been too much like humble… Kings aren’t that are they?