OAKLAND, California (AP) — Nakakuha ng kasangga si LeBron James laban sa kanyang kritiko sa katauhan ni Hall-ofFamer at Golden State Warriors president Jerry West.
Iginiit ni West na ang pagbatikos kay James ay isang katawa-tawa.
“If I were him, frankly, I’d probably want to strangle you guys,” pabirong tugon ni West sa panayam ng media. “It’s ridiculous.”
Tangan ni James ang apat na MVP award at dalawang NBA title bilang miyembro ng Miami Heat. Ngunit, kung muling matatalo ang Cleveland Cavaliers sa Warriors ngayong NBA Finals, tatanghaling ikaapat na player si James na natalo sa kampeonato nang limang ulit. Hawak ng Warriors ang 1-0 bentahe tungo sa Game 2 Linggo ng gabi (Lunes sa Manila).
“He’s carried teams on his shoulders,” sambit ni West.
“They’ve been to the Finals six straight times. How many times have they been the favorite? None. Zero. Ok? Grossly unfair to him.
“I don’t want to sound like Donald Trump, but it’s hard for me to believe that someone doesn’t recognize his greatness. It’s hard for me to believe. This guy does everything. He’s like a Swiss Army knife. He does everything. And he’s competitive as hell. And frankly, I wish people would leave him alone.”
Binatikos ng nitizens si James sa social media matapos ang nakadidismayang kabiguan ng Cavs sa Game 1.
Matagal nang hinahagaan ni West si James bilang isang kompetitibong player at naikuwento na umano niya rito ang karanasan niya bilang isang star player sa Los Angeles Lakers. Tangan ni West ang 1-8 marka sa NBA Finals sa kanyang kapanahunan.
“No fun to get there that many times and not to get the results you want, regardless of how you played,” sambit ni West. “In the playoffs, the best players are supposed to play better. I did. It made no difference. We weren’t good enough, obviously.”
