Suns announcer calls out $60,000,000 ex-Maverick for throwing shade at LeBron James for skipping NBA All-Star Game: "Not the one!"
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James received backlash for his decision to sit out the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. James was ruled out just hours before tipoff, drawing criticism from fans and basketball personalities, including former Dallas Mavericks star Chandler Parsons.
Former NBA player and current Phoenix Suns announcer Eddie Johnson came to James' defense, firing back at Parsons. Johnson highlighted James' longevity, contrasting it with Parsons' injury-plagued career. Parsons played only 440 regular-season games before retiring but still earned nearly $127 million in his career.
"Hold up, Chandler made 86,725,831.00 in last 6 seasons, played in only 225 games and he is calling out a guy that’s played in 1540 reg season and 287 playoff games and avg 37 minutes questioning why he didn’t play. Not the one!" Johnson tweeted.
LeBron James had played in 20 consecutive All-Star Games before opting not to play this year due to ankle and leg issues. A replacement was not named as he made his announcement just hours before the game.
As for Chandler Parsons, whose net worth is reportedly $60 million, he was relatively durable in his first five NBA seasons. Despite a knee injury, the Memphis Grizzlies signed him to a four-year, $94 million contract. However, he managed to appear in only 95 games for Memphis.
In his final season, the Grizzlies traded Parsons to the Atlanta Hawks, but he played just five games before a career-ending car accident. He retired following the 2019-20 season and later became an analyst for FanDuel TV.
What did Chandler Parsons say about LeBron James?
Speaking on "Run It Back" on FanDuel TV, Chandler Parsons discussed LeBron James' decision to sit out the 2025 NBA All-Star Game alongside Michelle Beadle and Lou Williams. Parsons criticized James, suggesting he avoided playing against rookies and sophomores in the Rising Stars Challenge.
"Here's the problem I have with LeBron James not wanting to play against the Rising Stars," Parsons said. "All these other NBA players have to play against his son because LeBron has kinda put him in that situation, who's a rising star. So, what's the difference now? He doesn't want to play against the young guys."
Lou Williams defended James, pointing out that "The King" stayed the entire weekend instead of going on vacation like many other stars who skipped this year's All-Star festivities.
However, Chandler Parsons stood his ground, arguing that James would have played had his son, Bronny James, been selected for the Rising Stars Challenge. Bronny, however, has seen limited playing time with the Lakers this season.