If there’s anyone that knows how to deal with criticism, it’s LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar opened up about Boston not being his favorite place to play on episode five of “The Shop” that aired Friday. On the episode, he was joined by Academy Award Winner Daniel Kaluuya, Manchester United star Marcus Rashford and artist Rashid Johnson.
James’ discussion on Boston continued as he focused on Celtics star Jayson Tatum, and the criticism he received after Boston fell short against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. Tatum has taken the criticism in stride, choosing to take the high rode, but James went a different direction.
“Listen, usually the people that’s saying the (expletive) are the (ones) that never walked in the arena,” James said, as transcribed in an Uninterrupted Twitter video. “Theodore Roosevelt, ‘The Man in the Arena,’ talks about it. Man, it’s so easy to (expletive) on people when you — they don’t, they never ever raise they blood pressure level or they heart rate above a 60. And they out here telling you what you should do — how you should kick, how you should’ve done this role, how you should paint.
“It’s like Jayson Tatum is a beast. He didn’t play to his standards. But to the regular (expletive) standards that people — only people that’s comfortable. He had a hell of a season, and that guy’s not even 25 yet. He’ll be back, and he got nothing to hang his hat on. He played against the same team of my first finals. I played against the (San Antonio) Spurs. It’s the same (expletive). The same (expletive). And they took advantage of me not knowing much.”
The Celtics have added Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari in the offseason and are primed for another deep run in the playoffs, and all eyes will likely be on Tatum throughout the 2022-23 season.
