Craig Carton and Michael Rapaport’s Dislike for LeBron James

Craig Carton and Michael Rapaport bond over more than their passion for the New York Knicks. They both hold a strong dislike for LeBron James. Rapaport recently joined Carton for the debut of OutKick’s “The Craig Carton Show,” where he described James as a player he loves to hate.

Carton’s Reason for Dislike

Carton acknowledged his respect for James’ abilities on the court but cited an incident in 2017 as the primary reason for his dislike. He believes James falsely claimed an incident involving racial epithets at his Brentwood home. Carton remarked, “In my opinion, he invented a story that the people spray-painted racial epithets on the gate leading up his driveway.” The Associated Press had reported unidentified vandals spray-painted the N-Word, but no arrests were made, and Carton questioned the validity of the incident.

Carton stated, “There are real racial issues in our country. For someone as prominent as James to create something that never happened—dead to me. No one has confronted him about it, and I’m like, how do we forget this intrusion into a serious conversation about race?”

Rapaport’s Personal Experience

Rapaport shares Carton’s sentiment for more personal reasons. He recounted a time when James declined a picture with his young children, who were five and seven years old, despite never having spoken ill of James. Rapaport felt slighted and expressed, “I brought my little kids, and he like Heismaned.” This incident led Rapaport to end his favorable opinion of James.

Before this incident, Rapaport had no public grievances with James. He indicated that an unfounded rumor might have been the cause, but he emphasized that it was unrelated to his children’s request. “That was when I was like, ‘You’re done,’” Rapaport concluded.

Upcoming Encounters

This season, Carton and Rapaport will see more of James, now with the Philadelphia 76ers. The season opener against the defending champions takes place at Madison Square Garden. Carton’s new show, launched on September 8, is set to host notable guests discussing sports and world events.