Doug Gottlieb fires back at LeBron James over Green Bay Basketball struggles
Alona Yadav | Feb 20, 2025, 22:01 IST
( Image credit : Agencies )
Doug Gottlieb, with a 2-24 record as Green Bay Phoenix’s new head coach, was recently mocked by LeBron James on social media. The exchange highlighted past tensions between the two, with Gottlieb questioning why James would engage in such commentary.
Doug Gottlieb's first season as head coach of the Green Bay Phoenix hasn’t exactly been a dream debut. The Fox Sports radio host turned college basketball coach has faced an uphill battle, with his team struggling to a 2-24 record at the time of a recent social media exchange with NBA superstar LeBron James.
James, never one to shy away from engaging in basketball discourse, took a jab at Gottlieb on X (formerly known as Twitter) earlier this week. Sharing a post that highlighted Green Bay’s dismal record, James added, “Earned 2 not given! Gotta give him credit though!” The post, complete with laughing emojis, quickly gained traction, amassing over 14.1 million views by Wednesday.
Gottlieb, who continues to host "The Doug Gottlieb Show" on Fox Sports while coaching at Green Bay, didn’t let the comments slide. During a recent radio segment, he responded with a mix of defiance and bewilderment.
“I don’t think it speaks well for somebody who—like, don’t you have the day off?” Gottlieb remarked about James. “Don’t you have better things to do? My response is: Colin [Cowherd] told me a long time ago, ‘Don’t punch down. Always punch up.’ So me talking trash to him would technically be punching up. And him, it’s punching down. I guess pettiness and insecurity aren’t limited to just people who aren’t super successful in their field.”
Gottlieb went on to question why James, on a holiday like Presidents’ Day, would take the time to engage in such an exchange. “Why on a Monday when you have the day off are you worried about me? I’m not really sure,” he added.
The tension between Gottlieb and James isn’t new. Gottlieb has been a vocal critic of James and his son, Bronny James, who is navigating his rookie season between the Los Angeles Lakers and their G-League affiliate. In previous comments, Gottlieb has questioned Bronny’s selection as a McDonald’s All-American and his NBA draft prospects, suggesting he wouldn’t even start for Green Bay.
James' post seemed to be a direct clapback at Gottlieb’s history of criticism. The Green Bay coach acknowledged the possibility, saying, “I don’t even know what I’m responding to other than LeBron talking ish to me. Why? Because I didn’t think Bronny should be a McDonald’s All-American? Or should have been an NBA draft pick? OK. That’s my job, to give a sports opinion.”
While both sides may have valid arguments, the reality remains that Gottlieb’s coaching tenure has gotten off to a rocky start. However, Green Bay did manage to notch a much-needed victory last weekend, defeating Wright State 79-68 for its first conference win of the season, bringing its record to 3-24.
Gottlieb’s lack of prior coaching experience has been a frequent point of criticism, and unless Green Bay shows significant improvement, he’s likely to remain under scrutiny. Whether or not he engages in further back-and-forth with James, one thing is certain—his coaching journey is under the microscope, and the pressure is only mounting.
James, never one to shy away from engaging in basketball discourse, took a jab at Gottlieb on X (formerly known as Twitter) earlier this week. Sharing a post that highlighted Green Bay’s dismal record, James added, “Earned 2 not given! Gotta give him credit though!” The post, complete with laughing emojis, quickly gained traction, amassing over 14.1 million views by Wednesday.
Gottlieb, who continues to host "The Doug Gottlieb Show" on Fox Sports while coaching at Green Bay, didn’t let the comments slide. During a recent radio segment, he responded with a mix of defiance and bewilderment.
“I don’t think it speaks well for somebody who—like, don’t you have the day off?” Gottlieb remarked about James. “Don’t you have better things to do? My response is: Colin [Cowherd] told me a long time ago, ‘Don’t punch down. Always punch up.’ So me talking trash to him would technically be punching up. And him, it’s punching down. I guess pettiness and insecurity aren’t limited to just people who aren’t super successful in their field.”
Gottlieb went on to question why James, on a holiday like Presidents’ Day, would take the time to engage in such an exchange. “Why on a Monday when you have the day off are you worried about me? I’m not really sure,” he added.
The tension between Gottlieb and James isn’t new. Gottlieb has been a vocal critic of James and his son, Bronny James, who is navigating his rookie season between the Los Angeles Lakers and their G-League affiliate. In previous comments, Gottlieb has questioned Bronny’s selection as a McDonald’s All-American and his NBA draft prospects, suggesting he wouldn’t even start for Green Bay.
James' post seemed to be a direct clapback at Gottlieb’s history of criticism. The Green Bay coach acknowledged the possibility, saying, “I don’t even know what I’m responding to other than LeBron talking ish to me. Why? Because I didn’t think Bronny should be a McDonald’s All-American? Or should have been an NBA draft pick? OK. That’s my job, to give a sports opinion.”
While both sides may have valid arguments, the reality remains that Gottlieb’s coaching tenure has gotten off to a rocky start. However, Green Bay did manage to notch a much-needed victory last weekend, defeating Wright State 79-68 for its first conference win of the season, bringing its record to 3-24.
Gottlieb’s lack of prior coaching experience has been a frequent point of criticism, and unless Green Bay shows significant improvement, he’s likely to remain under scrutiny. Whether or not he engages in further back-and-forth with James, one thing is certain—his coaching journey is under the microscope, and the pressure is only mounting.