"Shoulda left LeBron James off the list" - NBA fans react as Brian Windhorst crowns Lakers star #1 prospect of all-time despite ongoing rift
LeBron James has had quite a few days for himself. James appeared on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday for a segment they referred to as "The LeBronversation." James talked about a variety of subjects, but most notably, it was his criticism of certain ESPN analysts and their media coverage that garnered the most buzz.
During that conversation, he took some shots at NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who has covered James since high school. James claims Windhorst talked about being his "best friend," which he said was "weird."
On Thursday, ESPN ran a segment with Windhorst, where they discussed his ranking of the most hyped NBA prospects ever:
NBA fans were abuzz when they saw that Windhorst ranked James as the number one prospect of all time despite James' recent comments about Windhorst:
"Shoulda left LeBron off the list" one fan said.
"He trying to get back good in Bron graces" another fan commented.
"YOOOOOOOOO AT THE END. 'That's a friendly ranking' and ESPN decided to intentionall not clip that" one fan suggested.
More fans shared their reactions to Windy's rankings.
"Was waiting to see that number one.... Approved" another fan posted.
"'That's a friendly ranking.'....His high school games had to be moved to a college arena and then shown on PPV. GTFOH!!!" one fan shared.
"This is degenerate conversation" another fan stated.
"I don't think the finger pointing helps anybody" - Brian Windhorst reacts to LeBron James' comments about him and NBA Media
LeBron James sent waves through the basketball world when he went at NBA Media on the Pat McAfee show. James mentioned many things, from his dislike of the way the NBA is covered and how it is focused more so on the dramatic aspects of the NBA rather than the basketball itself.
On Thursday, Windhorst responded to James's comments on ESPN's "First Take," hosted by Stephen A. Smith:
"I encourage NBA players to hold the media accountable as long as they're okay with being held accountable by the media... I would just say, let's have better balance. People like the drama. People like the rivalries... There's room to hold each other accountable, but the finger pointing, I don't think that benefits anybody."
LeBron James has not yet responded to Windhorst's comments, as he currently prepares to play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. The game will be the second night of a back-to-back, with James hitting a buzzer beater to defeat the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night 120-119.