October 17th 2023.
It's NBA preseason basketball time, and the game's star players have been receiving some criticism from fans, spectators, and ex-players. According to Sports Illustrated, former Laker Michael Cooper was particularly vocal about LeBron James' behavior on The Showtime Podcast.
Cooper expressed his disapproval of James eating at the end of the Lakers bench, insisting that he should have gone to the locker room instead. It is worth mentioning that James had just finished playing 18 minutes, tallying 12 points, two rebounds and five assists. Cooper, who won five titles alongside Magic Johnson, was not as amused as NBA Twitter was.
This sentiment was echoed by Howard Eskin, a sideline reporter for Sports Radio 94 WIP, who said that James' actions were a sign of 'total lack of respect for the game and his teammates'.
Cooper, who never averaged over 12 points in a season, may be a five-time NBA champion, but he is certainly of a generation where public appearances matter. Much like Charles Barkley's open disdain for 'load management', Cooper believes in the integrity of the game.
It is worth noting that LeBron received zero votes in the GM poll for the question of which player you'd want with the ball in hands with the game on the line. Meanwhile, the Lakers got zero votes as a championship contender.
It is obvious that there is a divide among those who think LeBron James isn't respecting the game and his teammates and those who think the criticism is unwarranted. However, one thing is certain, LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever grace the court and his impact on the game will be remembered for years to come.
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