Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has helped lead Team USA to a perfect 3-0 record at the Paris Olympics. This perfect record in the Group Phase earned Team USA the first seed for the knockout round that begins with Tuesday’s quarterfinals game against Brazil.
In three Group Phase games, James averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds. At 39 years old, James remains one of the best basketball players in the world.
While James has received a lot of praise during the Paris Olympics, the USA Basketball star has also been receiving some intense backlash for an Instagram story post he made on Monday:
Lmao @KingJames I know you ain’t just post this pic.twitter.com/HSTPOaUxxY
— King Jared (@certifiedjared) August 5, 2024
Posting a picture of Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” Air Force 1 Nike sneakers, James has been getting called out on social media for switching sides in the rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
“Serial team switcher,” one Toronto hip hop outlet wrote to describe James.
Serial team switcher ‘Lebron James’ posts his OVO Airforces on Instagram and writes ‘♾’ pic.twitter.com/HKjTWT1yVU
— keep6ixsolid (@keep6ixsolid) August 5, 2024
In attendance at Kendrick’s “Pop Out” show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, James was seen earlier this summer singing along to “Not Like Us” which is the popular Drake diss track:
LeBron was literally at Kendrick’s Pop Out show rapping along to Not Like Us, of course they’re not cool 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/KYWbbPUM5G https://t.co/2iDchGXAcs
— RapTalk 🧊 (@RapTalkv2) July 21, 2024
Now posting Drake’s Air Force 1 Nike collaboration on his Instagram story, James is facing backlash for what fans believe is a lack of loyalty amid this rap beef.
This guy mad lame lame
— Tre Davis (@TreRighteous) August 5, 2024
Words like “fake” and “lame” have been used by fans on social media, as both Drake and Kendrick supporters feel the Lakers star has gone back and forth between the two rap legends.
lebron is so fake wtf
— Uzane🧜🏽♂️ (@Uzanethegoat) August 5, 2024
“Doing that after attending a Kendrick’s concert is crazy work,” one fan wrote, pointing out that James was at Kendrick’s show singing along to Drake diss tracks.
Doing that after attending a Kendrick’s concert is crazy work 😭😭
— Curryglazer (@myglorious30) August 5, 2024
It is worth noting that at least one fan argued James’ post was more about the “Love you forever” message on the sneakers than the fact that they are a Drake collaboration. With James sharing posts on his Instagram story for Kobe Bryant after the Lakers legend’s latest statue was unveiled, a fan argued this message was for him.
While this could have been James’ intent, fans have quickly pushed back against this idea, saying Drake’s sneakers were not necessary for a message to Bryant.
Kobe has hundreds of Nike models but he posted Drake’s forces? 😭
— King Jared (@certifiedjared) August 5, 2024
Amid this social media backlash, James will look to lead Team USA to victory in Tuesday’s quarterfinals game against Brazil.
