In a recent interview on Vlad TV, Michael Rapaport stirred up controversy by sharing an encounter with LeBron James that left a lasting impression on him. Rapaport, a longtime NBA fan and outspoken figure in the entertainment industry, discussed a moment that allegedly revealed a different side of LeBron, sparking questions about the star’s public persona. According to Rapaport, this incident, coupled with a comment from an unnamed NBA player, left him with a perspective on LeBron that he had not expected.
Michael Rapaport: “It was 2011, NBA All-Star weekend. I’m a huge NBA fan. I know all the players in the league. When I was there with my kids, my kids weren’t even needy or wanting or kissy or they don’t want things signed. They’ll just give you like a pound. And I had met him a bunch of times beforehand and I brought my kids over.”
“I don’t know this f**ing guy. Give my kids a f***ing, get my kids up. And he looked at me and looked my kids off and I was standing up like and they were little, the f**k. It wasn’t like was tons of people and I had met him a bunch of times, this place and that place… And I was like, f**k this motherf***er, man.”
DJ Vlad: “You said that he feels he has a grudge against you because you guys have mutual friends who had a falling out.”
Michael Rapaport: “That’s what I heard. I don’t know the details to be totally honest. I heard that somebody did something to somebody’s girlfriend. Now this is 13 years now, 12 years ago. That’s what I heard, but I just felt like it was, because I was like, we’ve always been cool. You know who the fuck I am.”
“When he went to Miami and, then he went to Miami to Cleveland. Then, I’m just like you’re f**king up the NBA like as a fan. I’m just like what the f**k is going on here at the big three this and the heatles and the big three, then I’m just like, you know, I don’t like you and you’re f**king up the NBA. So just like but it was the same thing with like Tom Brady, but I never met Tom Brady.”
“LeBron James is probably the most debated, discussed person in the NBA. That being said, as far as a basketball player, as far as what he’s accomplished with his life, as far as what he’s accomplished with his career, I don’t think that he’s better than Michael Jordan, but his career, the body of work, it’s the greatest career in NBA, period.”
“Not even close at this point. If you do the whole kit and caboodle, it’s unbelievable. Nobody has a better career than LeBron James. I’m not saying he’s the best.”
“I f**k with Jordan. But as far as the body of work and even the bubble championship and the Olympics and this past Olympics being the most tenacious, high-energized part of that Olympic team he’s on some other shit.”
“I will say and I’ll never say who but a player in the NBA did once tell me and the hair on the back of my head stood up when he said. He goes ‘he’s the fakest player in the league, he’s a fakest motherf***er in the league. LeBron James is the fakest motherf**ker in the league.”
DJ Vlad: “What does that mean though?”
Michael Rapaport: “When he said it, it felt like he needed to get it off his chest. Okay. That’s all I’m going to say. And when he said it, it was like almost like a therapy moment. Like, oh yeah, he’s the fakest person in the league. I think that he meant that he’s the fakest person in the league. I think it was pretty clear.”
“Like maybe his presentation and his persona isn’t what you get behind closed doors. That being said, you know, we make excuses for Harvey Weinstein being a prick, you know, Steve Jobs being a prick, Michael Jordan was a motherf***er, Kobe was a motherf***er, Tom Brady was probably a dick, you know, they’re all dicks.”
DJ Vlad: “These people want to win and they don’t care if they hurt your feelings as long as they win.”
Michael Rapaport: “That’s teammate stuff. The person that said this to me wasn’t a teammate and he said, and I quote, he’s the fakest person in the league. That’s all. And I was like, damn.”
Rapaport’s story goes back to the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend, an event where fans and celebrities alike gather to celebrate the league’s best. Rapaport mentioned that he had brought his young kids along and had hoped for a quick, friendly interaction with LeBron. Having met the superstar several times before, Rapaport expected LeBron to at least acknowledge his children. However, Rapaport said LeBron “looked [is kids off,” and the cold reception caught him off guard. This lack of acknowledgment toward his children left a sour impression on him and shifted his view of LeBron, both as a person and as a public figure.
This incident, Rapaport said, was further compounded by something he heard through NBA circles: an unnamed player reportedly told him that LeBron is “the fakest guy in the league.” Rapaport described how the player seemed almost relieved to share this information, as if it was a long-held belief that needed to be expressed. While Rapaport did not reveal the player’s identity, he emphasized that the remark felt authentic and heartfelt, as if it stemmed from personal interactions with LeBron behind the scenes.
Rapaport speculated that the comment could stem from the difference between LeBron’s carefully curated public persona and how he might act in private settings. Rapaport then compared LeBron to other competitive figures who are known for their intense personalities, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Tom Brady. He pointed out that many athletes, especially those driven to win, often develop a tough, sometimes abrasive, exterior.
While Rapaport admitted that he respects LeBron’s career achievements and acknowledges that his “body of work” is arguably the best in NBA history, he remains skeptical about the superstar’s authenticity. LeBron’s accomplishments, which include four NBA championships, three Olympic gold medals, and 20 All-Star appearances, are undeniable, yet Rapaport suggests that there may be more complexity to LeBron’s personality than his public image lets on.
Whether this perspective reflects LeBron’s true character or simply a few isolated incidents remains uncertain. However, Rapaport’s comments have reignited discussions about the public personas of sports superstars and the private personalities that may lie beneath them. For fans, it serves as a reminder that while athletes’ on-court personas are carefully managed, the individuals behind them may be more complex than meets the eye.
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