LeBron James took his fair share of criticism due to missing the All-Star Game festivities. While James did indeed have an injury, some felt that it was a move done in bad taste. Others have defended James’ missing the game, citing championship aspirations in the twilight of his career.
One person who shared his disdain for the All-Star Game absence was former NBA forward Chandler Parsons.
Chandler Parsons Criticizes LeBron James
Parsons took aim at James and his son Bronny James, suggesting that James’ lack of desire to play with the Rising Stars should be extended to his son. Whether or not you agree with Parsons, he was very direct.
“Here’s the problem I have when we’re talking about LeBron James not wanting to play against the Rising Stars. All these other NBA players have to play against his son because LeBron has kind of put him in that situation — he’s a Rising Star.”
However, some felt Parsons had no business discrediting James and his son. Parsons’ comments come with the implication that Bronny doesn’t deserve his NBA opportunity, making the league pretend that he’s on the same level as the professionals on the court.
Eddie Johnson Responds To Parsons
Former NBA veteran Eddie Johnson, who tends to be outspoken in his posts, wasted no time responding to Parsons, calling out the irony in his criticism considering his career and how much time he missed over the years.
Johnson’s tweet was a direct shot at Parsons’ lack of availability. Parsons benefited from the salary cap boom that defined his free agent class but succumbed to injuries before eventually retiring.
“Hold up, Chandler made $86,725,831 in his last six seasons and played in only 225 games,” Johnson wrote. “And he’s calling out a guy that’s played in 1,540 regular season games and 287 playoff games.”
Hold up, Chandler made 86,725,831.00 in last 6 seasons played in only 225 games and he is calling out a guy that’s played in 1540 reg season and 287 playoff games and avg 37 minutes questioning why he didn’t play. Not the one! https://t.co/OKWnjqDxdH
— Eddie A Johnson (@Jumpshot8) February 18, 2025
The most important piece of this tweet from Johnson states the obvious. Parsons made over $86 million in his career, yet he missed a significant amount of time throughout his career, while James has been the most durable player in NBA history.
Whether or not there is some validity to the criticism of James missing the All-Star Game or not, Parsons probably wasn’t the best choice to voice those concerns. Johnson made sure to remind him of that.
Is The Criticism Towards James Valid?
While Johnson was pretty direct in his shot at Parsons, matching the former forward’s potency, the chatter after James missed the All-Star Game was loud enough to cause this interaction.
Parsons’ criticism isn’t entirely unfair. LeBron played just a few days after the exhibition against the Charlotte Hornets. Of course, there is speculation as to why James decided to wait until the last minute to sit out, but the league would have appreciated some early notice so that another star could take his place.
It wasn’t James’ best moment. But after such a distinguished career, some are willing to give the future Hall of Famer the benefit of the doubt.
