Amid celebrations of a gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, LeBron James stirred up trouble by abruptly brushing aside a boy who was trying to get a picture with him.
The United States men’s basketball team beat the host country of France on Saturday August 10, claiming its fifth Olympic gold medal. The intense game ended with a score of 98 to 87. After their 14-point lead dropped to six and three during the fourth quarter, America ended up pulling it out in the end, with NBA star Stephen Curry carrying with 24 points.
This was Curry’s first Olympic Games, and he helped seal the deal with four critical three-pointers in the last few minutes of the match—giving credit to his title as the best three-point shooter in the history of the NBA. His teammate, James, told reporters after the win that his team focused on “willing out way to victory,” citing close calls in previous games.
Ironically, he also said that the team had “kept our composure,” which was also part of what the win “was all about.” But the Los Angeles Lakers player was far from composed when a kid approached him after the game as he was heading to the after party. In a video that has circulated on social media, James can be seen walking behind Savannah, his wife.
The NBA star was walking in front of the car when a young fan came up to him, phone in hand. James is then heard saying impatiently, “stop,” before another person urged the boy to move out of the way while James and his companions went into a restaurant. Upon entering the establishment, the basketball player was greeted by photographers, jumping into a celebratory dance.
But social media opted not to compliment his dance moves and instead criticized James for his rude interaction with the boy. One user said he was “not a fan” of the NBA star, who was also described as an “anti-America” athlete who was “still somehow” selected to carry the nation’s flag at the Olympic ceremonies.
In 2020, amid George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests erupting across the country, LeBron had been one of many prominent American athletes who knelt during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racism.
Another viewer said that James had revealed his “true colors” when he “shout[ed]” at the boy who “politely” approached him hoping for a photo. Someone else described the incident as “such a shame” and one which the boy would “remember” throughout “the rest of his life.”
