Top 5 players who have publicly criticized LeBron James
LeBron James is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player to have ever played in the NBA.
Since joining the league in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James has grown into one of the most influential players in the league, and is easily the most popular basketball player on the planet. Regardless, LeBron has been involved in a fair share of feuds and altercations that have on most occasions not spilled onto the public eye. In this article we look at incidents when LeBron James was publicly criticized by active/former NBA players.
Five players who have publicly criticized LeBron James
Perhaps James’ most famous feud was with Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert, whose comments brought forth the argument that LeBron went to the Miami Heat to form a super-team. Additionally, the amount of influence that LeBron tends to have over his franchises can often be considered “toxic,” and is said to be the reason why Kyrie Irving left the Cavaliers in 2017. These are the five players who have publicly criticized the LA Lakers’ superstar:
#5 Deshawn Stevenson
Back in 2008, LeBron James had a run-in with former Washington Wizards guard Deshawn Stevenson. Stevenson’s Wizards had won a regular-season game against a 23-year old LeBron James who was still searching for his first championship. After the match, Stevenson said the following,
"He's overrated. And you can say I said that"
This was followed by Stevenson mocking LeBron during a postseason game, which the Cavaliers won. The pair locked horns again in the 2011 NBA Finals, with Deshawn Stevenson part of a Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks side that won the championship. Stevenson followed up by publicly wearing a t-shirt mocking LeBron James, who to his credit did not speak out.
#4 Charles Barkley
Before LeBron James packed bags and left for the Lakers in 2018, he publicly demanded the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front-office to build a team capable of winning the championship around him. Since leading the team to a championship two seasons ago, James has said that the Cavaliers were a top-heavy team and needed defensive reinforcements, something Barkley thought was whiny. He said,
“Inappropriate. Whiny. All of the above. The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. ... They brought in Kyle Korver. He's the best player in the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don't want to compete? He is an amazing player. They're the defending champs."
In response, LeBron James claimed that the TNT analyst was a hater.
"I'm not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that. I'm not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, “I'm not a role model.” I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying. All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.”