LeBron James was eating fruit salad on the bench during the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, and a member of the Lakers organization wasn’t a fan.
on sunday Performing with Coop Five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper said on the podcast (h/t USA TodayLorenzo Reyes) didn’t like James’ decision to eat fruit salad in public, saying it was not the appropriate time to do so on the bench.
“I don’t like it,” Cooper said. “Again, he’s LeBron James, but, you still have to respect the game, man. He’s over there, I don’t mind that guy eating, but you can go in and eat. .” locker room, and then when you come out, you become part of the team, not just sitting at one end of the bench eating. “
In the first half of James’ game, the Lakers lost 129-125. He scored 12 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds in 18 minutes. He returned in casual clothes for the second half, at which point he started eating fruit salad.
It’s hard to imagine James doing this in a regular-season game, but the more relaxed atmosphere of the preseason may provide more opportunities to do so. While the sight was bizarre enough to go viral, James was clearly gesturing and communicating with his teammates and overall participating in the action on the court.
With the preseason coming to an end, James’ performance will surely be the main story rather than his future food consumption. The 38-year-old will begin his 21st season in the NBA on October 24 at 7:30 pm ET against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.