Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is one of the most respected players in the NBA right now. But one action from James in a recent preseason game has drawn criticism from Lakers legend Michael Cooper.
The Lakers have managed James’s playing time throughout the preseason, which obviously makes sence considering he is entering his 20th NBA season this year.
He played in just the first half of their preseason game against the Golden State Warriors last week, sitting on the bench for the second half of the game.
While sitting on the bench, he was seen eating while watching his teammates on the court, a move that Cooper blasted him for in a recent episode of his podcast.
“I didn’t like that,” said Cooper on his podcast, the Showtime Podcast with Michael Cooper. “Again, he’s LeBron James, but still, you’ve got to have respect for the game, man. I don’t mind the guy eating, but go eat in the locker room, and then when you come out, you come out and be part of the team, not just sit on the end of the bench eating.”
If anyone has earned the respect of his teammates to eat on the sidelines, it is a player like LeBron James. That being said, Cooper does have a point in that it could be seen as disrespectful to his teammates on the court.
Regardless, it is pretty unlikely that we will see this from James for much longer. The Lakers have no more preseason games remaining, and will start their regular season next Tuesday against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.