Lakers great ‘didn’t like’ LeBron James eating on bench during preseason game

The NBA preseason is not meant to be taken all that seriously for veterans, who use it just to tune up a bit before the regular season hits.

This is LeBron James’ 21st preseason, and considering he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 rebounds last season at the age of 38, he can relax a bit.

However, one former Los Angeles Lakers star says the NBA’s all-time leading scorer may have relaxed just a bit too much in a recent preseason game.

After James scored 12 points in the first half against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, he changed into street clothes and watched the rest of the game from the bench. That’s normal for stars in the preseason — but what wasn’t was the fact that he returned with a meal in hand.

Former player Michael Cooper, who won five NBA championships with the Lakers, said it was a bad look for James.

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“I didn’t like that. Again, he’s LeBron James, but still, you’ve got to have respect for the game, man,” Cooper said on his “Showtime with Coop” podcast. “He’s over there — I don’t mind the guy eating, but go eat in the locker room, and then when you come out, you come out and be part of the team, not just sit on the end of the bench eating.”

James has played in two of Los Angeles’ four preseason games this year. The Lakers are set to begin the regular season Oct. 24 in Denver against the defending NBA champion Nuggets.

Cooper was the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year and made five NBA All-Defensive First Teams in his career. He now coaches at Culver City High School in California.