After winning the gold at the Paris Olympics, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was caught on video stopping a fan from having a selfie with him. In response, NBA fans took to social media to express what they thought of the incident.
A number of fans were critical of James’ interaction with a young fan at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As the U.S. basketball team celebrated their gold medal, a fan approached James seeking a photo and autograph. However, James refused, telling the fan to stop and walking away. Seconds later, he was seen dancing at the venue before entering.
Fans immediately drew comparisons between James and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, with one stating the latter would never do what James did. Others called James’ actions crazy for yelling at a young fan. Some defended James, arguing he’s a regular human who doesn’t want people constantly approaching him.
The incident has raised questions about James’ future with Team USA. At 39 years old, the 2024 Paris Games could be his last Olympics. James has hinted he may not play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics when he’d be 43. With three gold medals and one bronze, James has nothing left to achieve internationally and the Paris Games could be the perfect way to end his Team USA career on a high note.
NBA Fans Defend Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James Over Viral Video With Young Fan
The video went viral on social media, sparking a debate about athlete-fan interactions and whether James’ actions were justified or not. Turns out, some fans defended the Lakers star and his actions in a video shared by Collin Rugg on X.
NEW: NBA star LeBron James is under fire for snapping at a young fan who asked for a picture after winning gold at the Olympics.
James was seen telling the kid ‘stop’ before he pulled off a dance move while entering the venue.
“Stop, stop, stop” he said to the kid.
James was… pic.twitter.com/VQj3Z9M8X8
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 11, 2024
“You all acting like he hasn’t donated millions of dollars to schools, youth and communities,” Jeff Townsend said.
“You can’t just walk up to someone because they’re famous and try to touch them abs assume you’re entitled to a photo with him. Bron prob deals with this dozens of times on the daily and it’s prob annoying,” Aidan LaPorta explained.
“LeBron ain’t under fire, YOU sensationalizing something most people don’t care about,” Champside tweeted.
“I love how all these experts consider him racist cause of 1 so-called racist interaction. I would like to see how you ok with someone all in your personal space. Don’t care how much fans pay to see him. That doesn’t mean you can be all up on in their space,” CT Plasmist mentioned.
“Perhaps the kid was pestering him prior to arriving. It looks like he was trying to take a selfie with him and he told him no. So maybe he already gave him a selfie and the kid was kind of pushing it, trying to get more photos,” Jerry Sr. posted.
James faced backlash after declining to take a photo with a fan in Paris following the Olympics. However, video footage showed the fan using offensive language, which explains James’ reaction.
Despite the criticism, James had an impressive Olympic resume, having won gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2024. While the incident may have placed him in a bad light, his status as a global sports icon still remained intact.
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