“Whether it’s an opponent who goes down or one of our own, we don’t boo.” Myles Garrett was amongst many to react after the recent Bengals game, which did not bring out the best side of Cleveland fans. Deshaun Watson had to unfortunately be taken off, as he suffered an injury. Cheers at the Huntington Bank Field suddenly turned into boos as local fans seemed to be more concerned about the disadvantage that losing a player would bring to the team rather than the man himself, who was in tears. Having given several years of his life to Cleveland too, LeBron James thought it was best to speak out on this shocking behavior.

Taking to his official X account, the King made it clear, posting, “Cleveland Fans! Yall know how much we’ve been thru throughout the years both good, bad and indifferent. With that being said booing anyone that’s down with an injury let alone your own player is LAME AF!! To the ones who didn’t (salute emoji).”

Deshaun Watson has recently been not in the most positive light for NFL fans. According to ESPN, acquiring the player back in 2022 under a 5-year, $230 million contract, and by trading three first-round picks in exchange for him, has certainly not been worth the cost as the Browns’ offense has gone down to the 31st rank in EPA per play. This season they’ve been 31st in points per drive, along with averaging 19.5 yards per possession, a league-worst stat for the team.

While Watson is not to be entirely blamed for this, the QB has ranked last in total QBR (21.5) across the league. Amongst passers who reportedly threw 100 pass attempts or more across in the initial six games, the 29-year-old ranks 558th out of 566…

From a lack of explosive plays to an inability to efficiently make close passes on target, Deshaun Watson hasn’t been making too good of a case in regards to his on-field prowess. Therefore, incurring injuries and leaving his team hanging may not be entirely his fault, but it certainly provides a reason for Browns fans to further be infuriated.

Despite everything, if recent updates are to be believed, then the NFL player is certainly not in good condition. After being left teary-eyed due to the injury and escorted away from the playing field, it was announced that Watson was suffering from a torn Achilles ailment. While it can’t be said for certain, the recovery period may cause the QB to be out for the remainder of the NFL season.

Therefore, while poor on-field performances can certainly be a reason for fans to hand out their displeasure, the same should probably be refrained from, after the player develops a major ailment. LeBron James also received his fair share of criticism after he left the Cavaliers to join the Heat. In an instant, he went from being a local hero to someone who had reportedly acted for ‘selfish’ reasons and abandoned the franchise that drafted him.

Therefore, Bron may know more than anyone the need for Cleveland fans to show respect to its team’s players. Furthermore, the NBA star may feel the need to stand behind the quarterback, since he had been endorsing his team-up with the Browns for quite some time.

LeBron James once criticized Phil Jackson by comparing his actions to Deshaun Watson’s snub: “Should’ve been our quarterback”

Back in 2017, the New York Knicks made the decision to select Frank Ntilikina during the NBA draft. Legendary coach Phil Jackson, who was then serving as the team’s president, received criticism from LeBron James over the draft decision, since he wanted to see Dennis Smith Jr. join the franchise. Upon being asked about his comments at a later point, the hooper made it clear that he meant no disrespect to Frank Ntilikina. To give a better understanding of what he meant, the King proceeded to draw a comparison with another draft decision that he wasn’t happy with. Only this decision was a part of the NFL, not the NBA.

“I think Deshaun Watson should be a Brown,” said LeBron James to explain what he meant regarding the hoops situation involving Smith and the Knicks. “Doesn’t mean that Myles Garrett isn’t going to be a great football player. But Deshaun Watson should’ve been our quarterback. Doesn’t mean you’re sh—ing on the next guy. It’s just that you stating what you see.”

Five years later, after Deshaun Watson finally signed with the Cleveland Browns, the Lakers legend highlighted his excitement, posting, “YESSIR!!!!! #LFG” on X. Therefore, LeBron James is sure to not withdraw his support for the NFL QB anytime soon.