
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is one of the most important athletes in the NBA. His influence runs deep, and he has an impactful place as well. Hence, when one of the young players went through something, the King stepped in. Not only did LeBron support the young player, but he also made sure the player knows that James has his back.
The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards fought through in the NBA matchup. However, with the game on the line, Rockets’ Kevin Porter Jr. called the game with a side step three. While his shot was impressive, the announcers may have gone a step too far while addressing Kevin’s shot.

USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron reacted to the incident and supported Porter Jr.
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LeBron James has KPJ’s back
After hitting the game-winner, the game announcer chose some sensitive words. He spoke about KPJ’s late father and it had everyone in a bad spot. The announcer referred to a particularly troublesome event regarding the player’s father. Hence, referring to this issue did not sit well with LeBron.
He said: “I can’t let that ride on behalf of a kid that looks up to me. Kevin Porter Jr. looks up to me, and it’s my obligation to make sure that he knows that I have his back.”
James did not stop there and continued his criticism saying, “So he remembers the Kevin Porter who used to play for the Bullets? … I would have said, ‘Kevin Porter Jr. is coming into town, let me see if that’s his son.’ I would’ve did that due diligence.”
LBJ doubles down on his criticism of Wizards commentator
"So he remembers the Kevin Porter who used to play for the Bullets? … I would have said, ‘Kevin Porter Jr. is coming into town, let me see if that’s his son.’ I would’ve did that due diligence." https://t.co/IppyivOVLl
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 6, 2022
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LeBron James spoke more than 7 minutes about KPJ's game-winning shot and the Wizards announcer controversy.
"I can't let that ride on behalf of a kid that looks up to me. Kevin Porter Jr. looks up to me, and it's my obligation to make sure that he knows that I have his back."
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 6, 2022
While the incident was definitely out of line, the Wizards’ backup announcer apologized for his actions. He mistook Kevin’s father for someone else and gave comments accordingly. However, to say the statement with a lack of research has caused a lot of controversy throughout the NBA world.
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What do you think of his incident? Let us know in the comments below.
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