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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James faced criticism from former MS NOW host Mehdi Hasan on Sunday after he was asked if he had a message for fans in Israel.
James held a separate press conference before playing in his 22nd All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. He was asked: “To all the Israeli fans, what message would you like to send to Israel and what do you think about (Portland Trail Blazers All-Star) Deni Avdija?
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Team USA Stripes forward LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after game two during the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on Feb. 15, 2026. (Jayne Kamin/Oncea-Imagn Images)
“I’ve already been quoted about Deni and what I thought about his season and I think he’s an All-Star and he’s an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball, so that’s it. And then if he had fans there, he never would have been there,” James said.
“If I have fans there, then I hope they’ve been following my career, I hope I inspire people there to not only want to be great at sports but also to be better at life in general. So I hope one day I can get there. Like I said, I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard great things. I appreciate the question.”
ANTHONY EDWARDS LEADS THE TEAM’S STARS AND WINS MVP IN THE RENEWED FORMAT OF THE NBA ALL-STAR GAME
Mehdi Hasan speaks on stage during Crooked Media – Lovett or Leave It: Live on Tour, on April 25, 2024 in Washington, DC (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Crooked Media)
Hasan, who had a history of making controversial statements about Israel, intervened.
“What a shame LeBron is,” he wrote on X.
Hasan has drawn backlash in the past for his hardline stance against Israel after Hamas terrorists launched a deadly attack on October 7, 2023 and took hundreds of hostages. The terrorist attack sparked a massive response from Israel which later led to a ceasefire agreement.
Avdija was an All-Star for the first time in his career and is the only active NBA player from Israel. He is one of four to have played in the NBA in the country, along with Omri Casspi, TJ Leaf and Gal Mekel.
USA Stripes forward LeBron James (23) answers questions before the NBA All-Star basketball game on Sunday, February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Avdija played 15 minutes in total between the two games the World All-Stars played in the new format. The World All-Stars lost both games.
