Over the course of his career, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has dealt with his fair share of criticism. He has been one of the most famous people in the world since he was 17 years old. For the most part, he has dealt with that fame reasonably.
However, James has been criticized for his play on the court. He doesn’t like it when that happens and has been vocal about many pundits in the past. James had a very public spat with Stephen A. Smith over the coverage he was giving his son, Bronny.
Now, James is crushing pregame and postgame shows in general for their “lack of knowledge”.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks up at the scoreboard during a game. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Lakers Forward LeBron James Heavily Criticizes Pregame and Postgame Shows
While speaking on his Mind the Game Podcast, James took aim at the shows that precede and follow big games. He claims that too many of the pundits on those shows don’t have enough knowledge of basketball.
“I don’t watch a lot of, like, pregame shows, postgame shows because just, you know me, you already know how I am about that sh*t. Because they don’t speak about the game enough. There’s not enough knowledge about the game, breaking down the game, the, you know, what it means as a fan to actually learn about the game or what, what we’re watching.”
James isn’t wrong about the content of those shows. Very few shows go in-depth into the X’s and O’s of how a team is executing its offense or defense. There are a few out there, but they are hard to find. Kenny Smith’s breakdowns on Inside the NBA are insightful, though.
Most NBA players shouldn’t worry about watching these kinds of shows, anyway. They shouldn’t be worrying about what the media says about them. James has talked in the past about deleting social media during the playoffs to avoid any distractions.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James blows in his hand during a game. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
LeBron James Might not Watch Many NBA Shows Over the Next Month
If James is annoyed that shows don’t talk enough about the actual basketball being played, he likely won’t be watching many NBA shows over the next month. Those shows will be focused on free agency and trades. That includes James’s own free agency.
James has played the last eight seasons with the Lakers. If he decides to leave, it will likely be for another team that he thinks can compete for a championship. However, doing so would force him to take a pretty large pay cut compared to what he is used to making.
Los Angeles will have plenty of cap space this summer, so they can bring James back if they want. However, the top priority will be for them to re-sign Austin Reaves. After that, they will figure out if they want to spend the cash to keep James in LA for the rest of his career.
Lakers Forward LeBron James Crushes Pregame and Postgame Shows