Former ESPN anchor Linda Cohn went off on LeBron James for not standing at attention during the U.S. National Anthem on opening night when the Philadelphia 76ers played the New York Knicks.
Playing in his first game as a 76er, James appeared to be stretching his arms and shadow golfing while the national anthem was being played.
A video circulating clearly shows that the player was constantly moving and after criticism from US President Donald Trump, even Linda Cohn went off on the 41-year-old.
LeBron James criticised for moving like a restless child
James’ video came to the spotlight just a day after the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream walked out before the national anthem during the WNBA Finals. Both teams have repeated this for three straight games and there has been a lot of criticism of the WNBA.
Cohn questioned if the four-time NBA champion was jealous of the attention the WNBA was getting due to the controversy surrounding the national anthem.
“People are standing in the sold-out crowd, and what is LeBron James doing? He’s acting like a three-year-old. He’s at the end of the line, the anthem is being played, and he’s practicing his golf swing. He’s doing a number of repetitions with his golf swing, and then he’s shooting air hoops, practicing his shot, a make-believe shot while the national anthem is going on. You know who does that? A three-year-old that can’t sit still…
“I’m in shock. I mean, you don’t have to love LeBron. I admire him. He’ll go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game, but what is happening to him?”
James has not directly responded to anyone about his behaviour during the national anthem but he did respond to what US President Donald Trump had to say to him.
The 76ers have managed to win their first two games of the season with solid performances from James. Although he has been facing a few off-court issues, James has used his experience to put it all behind him and perform at an elite level when the game tips off.
Read more:
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