Rihanna once defended LeBron James from heckling Golden State Warriors fans: "It doesn't matter, bi**h"
R&B singer Rihanna has been very vocal about her status as a fan of LeBron James. The global superstar sat courtside in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals, cheering on James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers dropped the series-opening contest against the Golden State Warriors by a score of 113-91 behind marvelous performances from co-stars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
Following the contest, Rihanna walked past the Cavaliers' visiting locker room as she exited the arena. Golden State fans nearby were chanting 'Warriors', leading Rihanna to respond:
"It doesn't matter bi**h. The king is still the king."
The Warriors went on to win three of the next four games to win the series in five games. That offseason, LeBron's co-star, Kyrie Irving, requested a trade from the team. While the Cavaliers made it back to the NBA Finals the following season, they once again ran into the Warriors, who needed just four games to defeat them this time around. Following the third loss to the Warriors in four NBA Finals meetings, James departed from Cleveland for a second time.
Check out the footage of Rihanna responding to heckling Golden State Warriors fans below:
Rihanna: "it doesn't matter, bitch", as she passes Cavs locker room. https://t.co/6DJDBL25Gj
Rihanna praises LeBron James for breaking the scoring record
LeBron James recently became the NBA's all-time leading scorer as he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had sat in the top spot for nearly 39 years. Rihanna was amongst the big-name stars to congratulate LeBron for his record-breaking performance, stating:
"I am so grateful to witness this moment in history. My favorite thing about being a LeBron James fan is just watching you prove yourself over and over again, against all odds and all doubts. Thank you for repping for all of us, keep striving for greatness always, and congratulations King James."
Watch Rihanna, amongst other big names, congratulate James for becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader below:
Rihanna, Steph, Drake & more show love to LeBron for breaking the NBA scoring record 🙌 https://t.co/kbp3wJhFqt
LeBron James returns the praise during Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime performance
Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, and LeBron James, who was in attendance, could not help but return the praise. The LA Lakers star took to Twitter to state:
"Rih got so many killer tracks!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾♦️"
The global superstar had not performed in nearly five years leading up to her Super Bowl performance. While she is one of James' biggest fans, it appears that the fandom is a two-way street.
Check out LeBron's tweet below:
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Rih got so many killer tracks!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾♦️