I'm the No. 1 LeBron James hater in the world, I'm the league leader: Founder of Barstool Sports
Despite being one of the NBA's greatest talents, LeBron James has more than his fair share of critics. One of them is Dave Portnoy, the creator of Barstool Sports.
Similar to the greats that have come before him, the LA Lakers forward has garnered hate because of his success. In Portnoy's case, he can't stand LeBron James because of what he did to his favorite team.
Portnoy recently sat down with Lakers guard Patrick Beverley on "The Pat Bev Podcast," where the two discussed his All-Star teammate. The famous entrepreneur then labeled himself the top LeBron James hater because of all the times he's beaten the Boston Celtics over the years.
"I'm the number one LeBron hater in the world. I'm the league leader."
"One of my favorite teams and I've been through Super Bowls at the Patriots, Red Sox World Series, maybe my favorite team in Boston fandom was KG, Rondo, Pierce and Ray Allen. And they hated LeBron, it wasn't for show like they hated him...
"game seven, I was sitting floor, I've moved a little bit to the center, but I was in a corner. And after LeBron beat the Celtics, 10 security guys rushed in front of me like can't say anything. My hatred of him is well-known, long and documented."
LeBron James cost the Boston Celtics multiple chances at an NBA title
Given that Dave Portnoy is a die-hard Boston sports fan, it is not surprising that he hates LeBron James. Because of him, one of the Celtics’ best cores is listed among the most over-hyped teams in NBA history.
When Boston put together the group of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo, they took the league by storm. During LeBron's first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, this was the one team he could never get past in the postseason.
Following multiple failed attempts, he joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami to form a new juggernaut. The Heat and Celtics battled constantly in the playoffs, but this time, LeBron James always walked away victorious.
With the unstoppable trio in their way, the Celtics never saw the finals again after battling the Lakers in 2008 and 2010. Their stars quickly began to age, and eventually the franchise made the decision to break them up and move on.
The group had the potential to win multiple titles, but walked away with just one. Seeing how so much was left on the table, Dave Portnoy has every right to hate LeBron for halting his favorite team.