Brian Windhorst reacted to LeBron James' comments about him on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' Screen grab: ESPN Cleveland
By Ben Axelrod on

Stephen A. Smith wasn’t the only ESPN star who LeBron James took aim at on ESPN airwaves this week.

Over the course of his hour-long interview on The Pat McAfee Show, the 4-time NBA MVP also took a swipe at Brian Windhorst. During a conversation regarding the comparisons to Michael Jordan he’s been subjected to throughout his career, James took issue with the ESPN NBA senior writer for recently suggesting that he signed with Nike so that he could follow in the footsteps of His Airness.

“I see a lot of s**t too. Like I see Brian Windhorst on one of these shows not too long ago,” James began before being interrupted by McAfee.

“You guys played together in high school, right?” McAfee asked jokingly in reference to James and Windhorst’s shared alma mater of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron.

“Yeah, this guy who says he’s like my f**king best friend,” James continued. “These guys are just weird.”

Unlike Smith — who addressed James’ comments toward him with a 15-minute monologue to open First Take on Thursday — Windhorst didn’t go out of his way to publicly respond to the 4-time NBA champion’s jab. And when asked specifically about James’ comments during an appearance on ESPN Cleveland on Thursday, the longtime NBA reporter opted to take the high road.

“LeBron doesn’t owe me anything. I owe him a lot,” Windhorst said. “He has been a great friend to my hometown and my alma mater. That I would stand on. Anything else, I would never say or never stand on.

“Just know, I met LeBron 25 years ago. And my understanding of LeBron and where people stand in his life has been crystal clear.”

Windhorst might be too modest or classy to say it, so we’ll do it for him: he didn’t deserve this. And in case you needed any more evidence why, look no further than response to James’ dig, which stands in stark contrast to most of the mudslinging that the interview with McAfee has resulted in.

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.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod