The jokes came fast and furious throughout Game One as first AT&T Center’s air conditioning went out (it is working now, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express News) and then that may or may not have caused LeBron James to cramp forcing him to miss the final three and a half minutes of the game as the Heat collapsed and the Spurs took the first game.
James has (unfairly) received a lot of criticism for needing to be carried off the floor. Judging by how James came back into the game tried to go to the rim and finish and his leg just locked up, it just was not possible for him to keep going.
Twitter does not care about rationality however. And when you get corporate sponsors involved, sometimes things like this creep in:
@ryanbkoo The person cramping wasn’t our client. Our athletes can take the heat.
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) June 6, 2014
Gatorade has since apologized and re-affirmed its relationship with the Miami Heat. But the tweet is still live and has not been deleted. There is no backing away from the statement behind this.
In fact, Gatorade appears to be doubling down:
@CarmichaelDave Better go stock up Lime Cucumber before Game 2. Can’t cramp up if you want to tweet during it.
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) June 6, 2014
@OfficiallyRandy Thanks, Randy. We’ve been hydrating all day. We never cramp.
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) June 6, 2014
Unlike James, teammate Dwyane Wade is an endorser for Gatorade. No word yet how he feels about one of his sponsors ragging on a teammate. James does enjoy the Powerade, but no word if he has his own Powerade on the bench or if he drinks Gatorade.
In either case, expect James — and the A/C — to be ready for Game Two on Sunday.
