LeBron James was in New York City over the weekend for the Fanatics Fest at Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan. While James had a blast at the event, it turns out some New Yorkers heckled him after he seemingly declined to give an autograph to one fan.
“Get outta here, LeBron,” a fan said. “Go back to LA. Don’t come to New York with that s***… LeBum. You’ll never beat [Michael] Jordan… Or Kobe [Bryant]… F*** outta here!”
EXCLUSIVE: #LeBronJames had to deal with some salty fans outside a New York City event Saturday night … with angry pedestrians hurling insults at the basketball legend. pic.twitter.com/hrDLtaRYRq
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 22, 2025
You can hear some boos too for James, who certainly isn’t a beloved figure in the area, having dominated against the New York Knicks in his career. The 21-time All-Star has a 44-17 record against them in the regular season and has averaged 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in those contests.
James also brushed the Knicks aside with ease on the only occasion he played against them in the playoffs. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game to help the Miami Heat knock them out in five games in the first round in 2012.
James turned down chances to join the Knicks during his career as well, and it’s safe to say the fans are a bit salty. Had he agreed to sign with the team at any point, the fans wouldn’t have had to wait so long to have a team that could compete for a title.
James ignored the heckling and all the boos but this incident might have contributed to his deciding to troll Knicks fans at the fest.
“Knicks fans, y’all good? You going to the Finals next year? We’ll see,” said James.
The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 this year. Their fans were dreaming of getting to the NBA Finals and winning that long-awaited title, but the Indiana Pacers knocked them out in six games. It was a disappointing end to the season, but the Knicks could well make it to the Finals in 2026.
As for James, he’d be hoping his Los Angeles Lakers get there too. The Lakers surprisingly lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round this year. It was their second-straight first-round exit, having lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round in 2024.
These early exits sure don’t help James’ cause in the GOAT debate. He, of course, is vying for that title with Michael Jordan.
James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title in his career. The 40-year-old is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
As for Jordan, he won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, a DPOY, and 10 scoring titles in his career. His resume is better than James’, and the Lakers star will need to win another championship or two to get on equal footing.
