"Oversized sense of self-importance" - when Zlatan Ibrahimovic reportedly let LeBron James know that he's a bigger name in sports
LeBron James, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
It's almost always juicy whenever two legendary athletes' egos clash, especially if we are talking about two different sports. That was the case with NBA superstar LeBron James and legendary soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
You're LeBron but I'm Zlatan
Going back to the summer of 2018, "King James" delighted the city of Los Angeles when he finally signed with the LA Lakers. On the other hand, Ibrahimovic had done the same a few months earlier when he joined LA Galaxy in March.
For those who don't know, Ibrahimovic is arguably the most arrogant soccer star. So, upon learning James was coming to town, the prolific striker decided to welcome the future NBA Hall of Famer with an unsurprising backhanded compliment.
"Now LA has a God and a King! Zlatan welcomes @KingJames." Ibrahimovic tweeted.
LeBron was tagged in the tweet, so he should've understood what Zlatan was trying to imply. But for some reason, "King James" appeared so naïve that he reportedly sent Ibrahimovic one of his jerseys to show his appreciation for the then-LA Galaxy forward's evidently sarcastic gesture.
As expected, Ibrahimovic allegedly sent the present back to LeBron. This time, Zlatan ensured James got the message.
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"Lebron James thoughtfully sent a copy of his jersey to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a gift when Zlatan visited Los Angeles. Zlatan signed the jersey and sent it back to Lebron. Where does Zlatan's oversized sense of self-importance come from?," Onye Nzuki tweeted.
This could be epic
Ibrahimovic wasn't done with LeBron. Last year, he criticized the four-time NBA champion for being too vocal about his political views when his main purpose was to dominate his respective sport.
"Just do what you are best at because it doesn't look good," Ibrahimovic notably said of James.
LeBron did not let it slide this time, and it didn't take long before he clapped back at Zlatan.
"I would never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people, and I preach about equality, social injustice, racism, voter suppression, things that go on in our community because I was a part of my community at one point seeing things that were going on… They need a voice, and I'm their voice," James said in his response.
It's safe to say things have been heating up between LeBron and Ibrahimovic at this point. However, another epic exchange could be looming as James has officially become a part owner of AC Milan, Zlatan's current soccer club.
We can't wait for their first meeting!
