Basketball legend LeBron James sparked fierce online controversy after expressing a desire to visit Israel and saying he had “heard great things” about the country when asked about Israeli NBA player Deni Avdija ahead of Sunday’s All-Star Game in California.
The comments divided social media users, with left-wing commentator and former MSNBC anchor Mehdi Hasan among the most prominent critics. Hasan, who has frequently condemned Israel over the conflict with Palestine, quoted James’s remarks on X and wrote: “What a disgrace LeBron is.”
American academic and author Marc Lamont Hill also responded critically, posting: “LeBron James just said he’s ‘heard nothing but good things’ about Israel. I’m nonplussed. Seriously. Nonplussed.”
James made the comments when reporters asked him about Avdija and whether he wanted to send a message to Israel, which remains in conflict with Palestine six months after US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire agreement. The war in Gaza has reportedly killed over 73,000 Palestinians.
The basketball star spoke positively about Avdija’s performances before turning to the question about Israel. “I’ve never been there. If I have fans over there, then I hope you’ve been following my career, I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but be better in general in life,” James stated.
He continued: “So, hopefully someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard great things. I appreciate the question.”
Other social media users echoed Hasan’s criticism, with one writing: “‘Heard nothing but great things’ come on bron…” whilst another stated: “This just absolutely shows you how much athletes do not keep up with politics.”
However, several users defended James and directed criticism at the reporter who posed the question. “Why are they asking him this to begin with,” one fan questioned, whilst another described it as an “impossible question” with a “decent response to it.” A third user wrote: “His answer was great until he said heard nothing but great things.”
Regarding Avdija, James had praised the Portland Trail Blazers forward’s performances before the controversy overshadowed his broader comments. “I’ve been quoted on Deni already and what I thought about his season and I believe he’s an All-Star, and he is an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball, so that’s that,” he stated.
James has not publicly responded to the backlash following his All-Star Game press conference comments. The controversy surrounding the remarks is expected to continue as the NBA season progresses and tensions in the Middle East remain a prominent topic of public debate.
