Just a day prior, everyone talking about Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. All hoped to see them in the same colors. But that bubble soon burst. Hours before the showdown, all ears turned to LeBron’s press conference, excited to hear what the superstar had to say. But then came an unexpected twist. The four-time champion backed out of the competition because of his ankle and foot discomfort, shocking the NBA community. No matter who you are, how can this go without criticism? One of which came from his former teammate!

LeBron’s action became the hottest topic in town. With talk shows buzzing about it, the issue even came up on ESPN’s Get Up. And the NBA star-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins shared a phrase that reminded him of his grandfather’s wisdom. “It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it,” the former Cavalier recalled. But for Perkins, the issue wasn’t with the four-time champion stepping back due to his age. “Do I have a problem with LeBron James missing, the All-Star game at the age of 40 because of injury? Absolutely not. But it’s how he did it,” he explained.

But there is an allegation! Perkins pointed out that it seemed LeBron’s decision to not play was pre-decided. “He knew that he wasn’t gonna play when he probably was selected to play in the All-Star game. How about giving people a heads up? Not showing up to the actual All-Star weekend, you know, a hour before the game starts, and then all of a sudden you taken away from another guy that probably should’ve earned to be in their All-Star game like a guy Norman Powell who’s averaging about 24 points right now, who’s the second option on the Los Angeles Clippers,” the analyst added.

According to Perkins, this last-minute change not only disrupted the event but also took away a chance from someone who had earned it. But that wasn’t the only thing that upset Perkins about his ex-Cavs teammate. During the team photoshoot, while Shaquille O’Neal’s entire squad was in their All-Star uniforms, LeBron stood in the middle, wearing his clothes and ditching the team jersey. Perkins didn’t like that one bit. “Put your damn uniform on, Bron. I mean, damn. You done messed up the whole damn picture,” Perk said and felt that was “selfish” on the Lakers star’s part.

Well, LeBron had it coming, but what he probably least expected was for his gesture in the locker room to suddenly spark a controversy out of nowhere.

LeBron James’ locker room gesture sparks controversy

Despite LeBron James removing his name from the team, Shaq and his squad won the All-Star Game, securing a 41-25 victory. Following the win, the 21-time All-Star went to the locker room to greet his teammates. While he hugged everyone, including the finalists from Team Chuck, fans couldn’t help but notice that Jaylen Brown was treated a little differently.

The Celtics swingman stood up when he saw LeBron, but it seemed like LeBron only gave him a half-hearted handshake, with no hug for Brown. Was it because Brown clashed with Nike or the alleged comment he made about LeBron’s son, Bronny James?

During the Paris Olympics, Brown had quite a back-and-forth with the sneaker brand. After he wasn’t selected for the USA Basketball team when Kawhi Leonard’s replacement was being considered, Brown pointed the finger at Nike, claiming they had a role in his snub. This was after their previous clash when Brown publicly supported Kyrie Irving, who had his contract with Nike terminated due to his viral anti-Semitic social media post. LeBron having a lifetime contract with the brand might have taken offense.

To make matters worse, he even commented on LeBron’s son. During the Summer League last year, Brown attended a Lakers game with WNBA stars Angel Reese and Kysre Gondrezick, his girlfriend, where Bronny was playing. A viral video caught Brown allegedly saying, “I don’t think Bronny is a pro.” Although he later clarified his stance by praising the 20-year-old, it seems LeBron doesn’t forget easily when it comes to his son.

Why LeBron behaved that way, only he can answer, but it certainly looked a bit odd. Then again, there might not be anything to it after all. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us!