Michael Jordan’s ex-teammate Ron Harper makes pointed stand after being accused of hating LeBron James

Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper has a long history of making social media comments about LeBron James. On Monday, Harper set the record straight regarding his stance on "The King."

In a long conversation thread involving a handful of netizens, the five-time NBA champion refuted claims that he was resentful of James, citing a connection that he has with the LA Lakers star.

"I never hate on LBJ, that’s my Ohio kid so why do I hate I’ll always tell you my opinions," Harper tweeted.

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Harper is referring to the Ohio roots that he shares with James. On the one hand, the '90s defensive ace is a Dayton native who was named first-team All-Ohio in his high school days. On the other hand, James, the NBA's all-time leader in career points, spent his formative years in Akron.

Doubling down on his assertion, Harper also responded to a netizen who claimed that the former Laker once questioned the validity of James' 2020 title win.

"I never call it fake I said it was a bubble ring. A 1 game championship," Harper posted on X.

Though Harper appears to be backtracking on his comments, he appeared to call the 2020 NBA championship a "bubble gum ring" in a tweet that he posted on May 28.

Harper's support for his iconic former teammate Jordan is well-documented, but at this point, fans will continue to wonder whether Harper truly harbors no "hate" towards James.

"What has this talking head done?": Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper slams Dave Portnoy for comments regarding LeBron James

Three days before setting the record straight on his LBJ stance, Harper stood up for "The King" amidst a scathing attack from social media personality Dave Portnoy.

Last Friday, Portnoy went viral when he launched an anti-James tirade. Among his choice words for the four-time NBA champion were "one of the greatest losers in the history of the Lakers organization," along with "total bum" and "total failure."

In response, Harper took aim at Portnoy's credibility.

"This what kills me what’ve this talking head done??? Not a damn thing!!!’nn," Harper tweeted.

Between his tweet about "never hating" on James and his rebuke of Portnoy, Harper appears to be showing plenty of respect towards the all-time NBA great.

Edited by Simoun Victor Redoblado