Jan 6, 2026; New Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
Jan 6, 2026; New Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James will enter his 23rd year in the NBA. As usual, everything he does—every move, every comment, every facial expression, every accomplishment—will be heavily scrutinized. Over the years, James has learned to tune out the outside noise.
The 76ers are his fourth team. That alone has already earned criticism from haters, who claim that a true superstar stays put and does not chase a championship. That is just one of the many narratives that haters have tried to push to belittle James' legacy, no matter how impossible that would be.
At 41 years old, the veteran forward is too old, too unbothered, and too wise to expend his energy on the endless hate.
His agent, Rich Paul, had a theory for the adverse perception of the 22-time All-Star.
“I think somewhere in the algorithm somebody said, ‘Hey, if you speak negatively about LeBron, people want to pay attention to you.' I think that somewhere is in the manual of social media,” said Paul on “Game Over.”
“Criticism or critique is always welcome. But there's another level.”
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Rich Paul says it must be in the algorithm of social media to talk bad about LeBron gets you clicks:
“I think somewhere in the algorithm somebody said ‘hey if you speak negatively about LeBron, people want to pay attention to you.’ I think that somewhere is in the manual of… pic.twitter.com/wy868rMTux
It was not an overreach, as some studies have shown that widespread hate has become a currency in social media. It garners more attention and engagement, and unfortunately, many have weaponized it, including the media, which Paul has also slammed in the past.
Then again, James' place in the pantheon of greats was already cemented years ago, and no amount of heavy vitriol, blatant disinformation, or tasteless memes could destroy it.
Haters will always find something to complain about the four-time champion and four-time MVP. The funny part about them? They spend more time thinking about James than his fans do.