LeBron James eating on bench bothers Lakers great Michael Cooper

NBA

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LeBron James’ night was over, so he changed out of his jersey and decided to refuel on the bench with some food.

That doesn’t sit well with one of the Lakers’ great players.

Five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper took issue with James eating on the Lakers bench during the second half of Friday night’s preseason game against the Warriors.

“I don’t like it,” Cooper said on the latest episode of his “Showtime with Coop” podcast. “Again, he’s LeBron James, but you still have to respect the game, man. “He’s over there – I don’t mind him eating, but go to the locker room and eat, and then when you come out, you just Come out and be part of the team instead of just sitting at one end of the bench eating. “

James, 38, had 12 points, five assists and two rebounds in 18 minutes before changing into street clothes for the rest of the night.

This is his second preseason game, after scoring 10 points, five assists and three rebounds against the Nets on October 9.

Cooper, 67, played 12 seasons for the Lakers and won five NBA championships in the 1980s.

The guard won Defensive Player of the Year in 1986-87 and was named to the All-Defensive team eight times.

Cooper served as an assistant coach with the Lakers from 1994-97 before moving to the Los Angeles Sparks, where he served as an assistant coach and then head coach in the WNBA.

He also served as an assistant coach and interim head coach with the Nuggets, head coach of the G-League Albuquerque Thunderbirds, second-time head coach of the Sparks, head coach of the USC women’s team and head coach of Atlanta. Dream.

James will begin his 21st NBA season next Tuesday against the defending champion Nuggets.