LeBron James has provoked a furious reaction from fans on social media after he commented on Israel ahead of the NBA All-Star Game.
On Sunday (February 15), the 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game took place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
This year, there was a significant change to the competition’s format. In previous years, a team representing the Eastern Conference would play a team from the Western Conference.
However, this time around, a round-robin format was introduced, consisting of four 12-minute games between two US-based teams and Team World - made up by international stars.
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One US team was made up of young starlets, while the other consisted of experienced pros.
James ended up on the losing side as Team USA Stripes, which also featured Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard, lost 47–21 to Team USA Stars, which included Jalen Duren, Tyrese Maxey and Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Edwards, 24, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) after registering 32 points alongside nine rebounds and three assists.
History was also made by Deni Avdija, who became the first Israeli basketball player to feature in the NBA All-Star Game.
Speaking at a press conference, LeBron was asked about the Portland Trail Blazers star, to which he replied: “I’ve been quoted on Deni already and asked what I think about his season. I said I believe he’s an All-Star. He plays exceptional basketball.”
The 41-year-old then mentioned Israeli supporters of the NBA and stated that he would like to visit the Middle Eastern nation.
“I’ve never been there, but if I have fans over there, then I hope you’ve been following my career," he added.
"I hope I inspire people over there not only to be great in sport but to be better in general, in life. Hopefully, someday I can make it over there. I’ve heard nothing but great things.”
LeBron’s comments have caused a stir on social media, with some suggesting that the NBA legend should have addressed the ongoing issues in Israel following the conflict with Gaza, which has seen over 70,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023.
One fan said: “The athletes who once had the courage to speak up for the injustices of other people don’t exist anymore. The BLM stuff in 2020 was just a publicity stunt for people to watch the bubble games. These guys get paid and get told to shut up and dribble. And they do it proudly. Sickening.”
Another added: “Why are Americans obsessed with going to Israel?”
A third claimed: “The reporter knows what she’s doing and LeBron definitely knows what he’s doing.”
While a fourth commented: “The gap between how everyday people and people with money view Israel is really astronomical.”
Topics: Lebron James, NBA
Luke Davies