LeBron James ripped into a journalist by accusing him of lying about a claimed rift between the Los Angeles Lakers‘ forward and Anthony Davis, as the star’s teammate is traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

As the biggest name in basketball and one of the biggest names in global sports, mentioning LeBron is a pretty quick way to generate attention online and it appears the 40-year-old suspects this is happening once again.

Bill Reiter, who works for CBS Sports and has over 20,000 followers on X.com (formerly Twitter), claimed Lebron “had grown frustrated with Anthony Davis”, appearing to suggest the four-time NBA champion is behind the trade.

But the billionaire athlete was having none of it and quickly fired back at Reiter via social media, heading to X.com to post, “You a fkn lie!!!”

Mavericks explain Doncic trade

The basketball world was shocked when Shams Charania broke the news that the Lakers were trading for Luka Doncic in a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz, leaving fans trying to figure out the bizarre decision from the Mavericks.

The Texan team will pick up Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick in exchange for surrendering the star, who posted 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists through 22 games in the 2024/25 NBA season.

“I believe that defense wins championships,” Nico Harrison, Mavericks general manager, told ESPN. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance.

“We’re built to win now and in the future.”

The Mavericks had made the 2024 NBA Finals but struggled to put up much of a fight against the Boston Celtics, losing 4-1 through five games. They allowed an average of 101.6 points per game against them.

Doncic, meanwhile, produced averages of 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in what was his first appearances in the championship games.