The fierce rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics has been going on for decades — rubbing off on new stars of both teams as they come, seemingly including LeBron James.
Individual clashes have been a major part of the Lakers-Cetlics rivalry. Those included Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell as well as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. But L.A. and Boston haven’t engaged in spectacular duels — similar to those from the ‘60s, ‘80s, or even Kobe Bryant’s times in the late 2000s — for a decade now, and so there hasn’t been a notable beef between stars of the two teams.
But James still shares the Lakers faithful’s antipathy to Boston. When asked in the recent episode of “The Shop: Uninterrupted” where he can feel the most hostility during an away game, he quickly points to Beantown.
Then, when host Paul Rivera asks the four-time NBA champion why he heats Boston, the Lakers All-Star says: “Because they’re racist as f–k,” via The Recount Alt:
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on why he hates Boston Celtics fans: “Cause they racist as fuck.” pic.twitter.com/LtXiEbARIP
— The Recount Alt (@therecountalt) July 15, 2022
“They will say anything. And it’s fine,” he continues. “I guess it’s my life, I’ve been dealing with this s–t my whole life. I don’t mind it. I hear it. If I hear somebody close by, I check them real quick, I move onto the game. They’re going to say whatever the f–k they want to say.”
James then recalls having a beer thrown at him once as he was leaving the court at TD Garden. Carter adds Boston was likely the only place where a whole section would wear a shirt that says “F–k LeBron.”
“There was like a F–K LBJ T-shirt,” James responds. “I believe they probably sold it at the f—ing team shop. Probably the Celtics had something to do with that s–t.”
James’ comments come as a surprise considering he’s a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox and New England Sports Network. The Lakers All-Star acquired a small stake in both organizations when he joined Fenway Sports Group as a partner last year.
James & Rich Paul react to news about Russell Westbrook’s split from long-time agent
James and Rich Paul tweeted a telling reaction to the recent news about Russell Westbrook’s split with his long-time agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman.
“It’s a cold game,” Paul, James’ agent, wrote. The four-time NBA champion retweeted the post, captioning it: “Facts!!! [cold emoji] a– game brother!”
James has reportedly been pushing to trade Westbrook in order to acquire Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
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