LeBron James decided to treat himself to a glass of red wine during the 76ers’ 126-107 win over the Bulls on Monday night, and Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy wasn’t happy about it.
The 76ers superstar caused an uproar when he bumped into a fan and took a sip of his drink while trying to catch a long pass from Tyrese Maxey midway through the third quarter at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“If anyone else did this, they would be listed in AA, but because this is the Browns, the Browns Sports Center will do a one-hour special about it,” Portnoy said in the X post, which included a clip of James.
“Who cares about the example it sets for kids: You need to be drunk to play sports?”
James, 41, whose love for red wine is well-documented, explained after the game that he was curious to see if the fan’s wine tasted good.
“I bumped into him and spilled some of his wine, so I wanted to see if my arm was worth it and how it worked. It didn’t matter,” James, who finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, told reporters.
Portnoy retweeted the postgame video of James explaining.
“What this guy saw was alcohol. He had no impulse control,” Portnoy said. “He had to taste it on the job. But no, he didn’t have a problem. He wasn’t screaming for help. I was the crazy one.”
In an interview with ESPN, Sixers fan Troy Clemons, who spilled his drink, explained his interaction with James.
“[I was] Walking to my seat…LeBron bumped into me, he grabbed me, he said ‘my bad’ and my drink spilled everywhere. Clemons said. [court].
“At the end of the day, he’s another guy like me. I mean he’s LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash. That’s fine with him, but I just had a fresh drink.”
It should be noted that 76ers radio said“, “He didn’t drink during the game. It looks like “.
In 2018, James was absent due to a groin injury, and he came to the Lakers game with a glass of wine in his hand.
The 76ers, who have 7 wins and 1 loss, lead the Eastern Conference and will next face the first-ranked Pistons. No. 2, Friday in Detroit.