What did LeBron James say about Boston Celtics fans?
The LA Lakers superstar has upset a lot of people in green, after suggesting a lot of them have a problem with black.
LeBron James is never far from the headlines, often for stunning basketball performances, but he also has a knack of making comments that get attention too. Many of you will have heard him state that he’d quite like to own an NBA team, just like the legend that is Michael Jordan, but the LA Lakers superstar has also riled the fans of rival team, the Boston Celtics, effectively calling them racist.
Did LeBron really call Celtics fans racist?
Featuring, as he does, in the HBO talk show The Shop: Uninterrupted - one where sports celebrities and others sit in a room with barbershop chairs getting a chance open up to the public - LeBron made his accusations.
In the chilled out setting, James, who has played against the Celtics more than 40 times (including during his time at the Cavs and the Heat), was asked why he hated Boston so much.
“‘Cause they racist as fuck,” he replied simply.
“They will say anything,” he elaborated. “And it’s fine. It’s my life, fuck I’ve been dealing with it my whole life.
“I don’t mind it. I hear it. If I hear somebody close by, I check them real quick, then move onto the game. They’re going to say whatever the fuck they want to say.”
Laughing, James recalled Miami’s Game 6 victory at TD Garden, when a Celtics fan poured a drink over James while he was on his way to the locker room.
“There was like a ‘fuck LBJ t-shirt’. I believe they sold it at the fucking team shop.”
James is not the only top player to have commented on the crowd in Boston. Kyrie Irving had mentioned after the Nets’ visit to the Garden in May that he had heard racist shouts in his direction. Even Celtics star Jayklen Brown admitted to the work needing done.
“I think painting every Celtics fan as a racist would be unfair,” Boston’s guard said. “However, we’ve got a lot of work to do, no question. There’s a lack of resources there, lack of opportunity.”
LeBron James staying in NBA after retirement
Back to that story about LeBron heading up a new NBA franchise after retiring, following in the footsteps of Hornets owner, Michael Jordan. During the episode he spoke about his future and made it clear that he will never disassociate himself from basketball, he would even participate in television programs.
“I would contribute my knowledge of the sport (basketball) and my great vision about him. I would stay in the game, I want to stay in the game, for sure, forever. I know everything about our sport.”
Not content with being able to give his vision from the microphones, James made it clear that his ambition knows no bounds. The next target? Acquire a basketball team in the ‘City of Sin’.
“I want to own a team. I want to buy a team, sure. I want a team in Vegas. Yes, I want a team in Las Vegas”, he announced.
The truth is that the rumors about an expansion of the League, from 30 to 32 teams, have been heard for years and it is quite likely that it will happen in this decade. Las Vegas, along with Seattle, seem to be the great candidates to host these two hypothetical new franchises.
At the moment, it seems that he still has a few years left until his retirement, but it’s clear that LeBron is already thinking about what will come next. As yet, Jordan in the office is not proving quite so successful as he did on the paint. But it’s early days...