Last Saturday, after LeBron James refused to shake hands with members of the Orlando Magic when his Cavaliers lost to them and were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, we were treated to an entire week of commentary and distress on the part of fans and sportscasters. NBA commissioner David Stern even vowed to give James a “stern talking-to,” and commentators wondered why James wasn’t fined for also not speaking with the media after the game. We wondered whether this fuss was all because it was King James doing the snubbing, or whether there’s always been this kind of fuss over handshake disses. Turns out, it’s a combination of both.
