LeBron James has proven throughout his career that he is a unique player. A natural leader and a super professional with all five senses always focused on the game and helping his teams. He has been in the NBA for 22 seasons and has seen it all. He has stoically endured many defenders trying to get him out of games by hitting or insulting him to destabilize him. And they didn’t succeed… almost never.
The few times the Lakers star has exploded was because one of his rivals directly called him a “bitch” to his face. It is not known why, as throughout his career he has been subjected to all kinds of verbal abuse, but the only insult that drives him crazy and makes him lash out with all his rage against the person who utters it is that one. He neither tolerates nor puts up with it.
Not even when it comes from a teammate, even if it’s in an informal tone. That’s what Dwight Howard, the legendary NBA center, has revealed, that he got in trouble with the Lakers for calling LeBron a “bitch” during a discussion about defensive effort, a comment that the player nicknamed ‘Superman’ believes led to his eventual departure from the team at the end of the 2019-20 season.
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Dwight Howard was told… and ended up out
“I said that, man, and I got kicked off the Lakers… That was the year we won the championship, man. He didn’t get back on defense, and I said, ‘Hey, you gotta get back, bitch.’ And he went crazy when I said that and I tried to calm him down. I said, ‘Hey, stop acting like an asshole, man, damn it… All we do is talk‘.”
Howard wanted to make it clear that he did not intend to disrespect or question LeBron’s character, but rather to press the team leader to do a better defensive job. However, Howard felt that his comment contributed directly to the Lakers’ decision to let him go. Challenging James publicly, even if unintentionally, carries significant risks.
Mario Chalmers also tasted his wrath
These are not exceptional cases, as there are already several players who have admitted that calling him a “bitch” instantly pisses off ‘King’ James. And some have suffered his wrath. Mario Chalmers, a point guard who shared a locker room with him at the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, was able to see how LeBron exploded against him after calling him with a similar derogatory term.
Chalmers recriminated the defensive mistakes that his teammate was making against Paul George, then with the Pacers. “You’re the star of the team, stop acting like a sissy,” he said. LeBron exploded, got up from the bench and went after Mario with the intention of hitting him, but his teammates separated them.
Draymond Green provoked him with that insult
During the fourth game of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers, there was a major brawl when Draymond Green, one of the NBA’s great brawlers, called him that during the fourth game of the NBA Finals, triggering a heated confrontation. Green was suspended for the crucial fifth game, in which the Cavs, who came in with an adverse 3-1, won and ended up coming back to win the series and conquer the ring.
Most recently, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka also had a heated exchange of words with LeBron after calling him the same word. During a game on December 3, 2023, the Rockets coach had a verbal exchange with James. Udoka addressed him using LeBron’s most hated insult: “Stop crying like bitches,” he said. LeBron immediately responded by confronting him: “That word is not pretty, don’t use it so lightly,” and one of the referees, who witnessed the discussion less than two meters away, ejected the Rockets coach.
