DENVER, CO – APRIL 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during Round One Game Five of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2024 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)

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LeBron James responded to someone defending him against unidentified critics.

A popular social media account that James follows (“@CuffsTheLegned”) wrote that “people saying LeBron doesn’t wanna win anymore have no idea what they’re talking about.” The NBA superstar replied to the message.

“Do they ever know what they’re talking about?!” James asked.

A better question may be, who said this? They may not know what they’re talking about because they don’t exist.

This seems like a made-up straw man argument, comparable to the long-running “but I was told Steph Curry wasn’t a good shooter” joke.

For LeBron, going four straight years without an NBA Finals appearance feels like an eternity. The Denver Nuggets booted his Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round, leading the organization to fire head coach Darvin Ham.

Amid reports of the Lakers preparing a “massive” offer to Dan Hurley, the college basketball head coach decided to stay at UConn. As they search for a new coach, the Lakers also must worry about retaining James.

The 20-time All-Star can opt out of his contract and enter free agency this offseason. A person hypothetically questioning LeBron’s hunger for more championships may wonder why there’s not much gossip about the all-time leader scorer looking to form one last superteam.

James is running out of time to win his fifth ring, and the Lakers might not present the 39-year-old with the best opportunity to add to his crowded trophy case. But any faceless critics doubting his drive may have also complained about him switching teams throughout his prime.