It’s been three days since Pat McAfee interviewed LeBron James and two days since “the LeBronversation” aired, and the All-Pro punter still can’t believe it happened.
Especially since, as you might have noticed, McAfee is white.
Taking to X on Friday morning, McAfee expressed that sentiment in a post that seemed to come out of the blue.
“Good morning beautiful people… I still can’t believe LeBron had a conversation with a white guy the other day,” the host of The Pat McAfee Show wrote.
Good morning beautiful people..
I still can’t believe LeBron had a conversation with a white guy the other day.
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 28, 2025
McAfee’s post appears to respond to some criticism regarding James’ decision to give a rare hour-long interview to the West Virginia product. Among those to criticize the choice was The Ringer’s Van Lathan, who wrote on X: “If LeBron is about to shit on Stephen A Smith, he shouldn’t have done it to Pat [McAfee].”
If LeBron is about to shit on Stephen A Smith, he shouldn’t have done it to Pat Macafee
— Van “Not Going Anywhere” Lathan Jr (@VanLathan) March 26, 2025
While he wasn’t specifically referencing the McAfee interview, Kendrick Perkins also noted some of James’ media choices during Thursday’s episode of First Take. The implication appeared to be clear, as Perkins pointed out that his former teammate has partnered with JJ Redick and Steve Nash for his Mind the Game podcast, as opposed to other former NBA players he has ties to, such as Draymond Green, Richard Jefferson, or Channing Frye.
Kendrick Perkins doesn’t understand why LeBron chose not to do the Mind of the Game podcast with guys like Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Phil Handy, or Draymond Green, and instead chose to do it with Steve Nash and JJ Redick 🤔
(🎥 @FirstTake )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 27, 2025
While it’s hardly been the dominant theme to come out of his high-profile interview with James — that would be the escalation of James’ feud with Stephen A. Smith — some criticism of the 4-time NBA MVP’s platform choice has existed. And whether it’s high-profile personalities like Lathan or lesser-known content creators, it appears McAfee has been made aware and, unsurprisingly, isn’t biting his tongue.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.