Deadspin said it best:

Remember at last year’s Slam Dunk contest when LeBron James stole all the press attention by announcing he would participate in the 2010 contest and the guys who were actually in the event were totally overshadowed with talk about what an awesome crowd pleaser LeBron James is? Yeah, he changed his mind. Oh, you thought that was serious?

You guys think MJ would say he’d be in the dunk contest, only to back out without a good reason? Would Dr. J? Would Kobe? Heck, even Ced Ceballos and Isaiah Rider wouldn’t pull a stunt like this.

These off-putting displays of lack of media savvy were the type of thing that LeBron seemed immune to until 2009, when his spoiled kid behavior in the playoffs managed to overshadow his best season. Sadly for LeBron, he seems to be in some sort of Benjamin Button spiral, receding in media maturity with every passing day. Makes me look forward to LeBron’s mishandling of his much-hyped free agency this offseason. If this is any indication, expect him to talk up wanting to play for a winner until we’re all sick of hearing about it, then sign with the Knicks.

Although, to be fair to LeBron, once he got the news that Shannon Brown was in, I can’t blame him for wanting to sit it out.  Because you know Shannon’s going to jump over the backboard or do a 720 on his first dunk and put everyone else to shame.

I just wish Team LeBron would have tried to come up with a good excuse.