LeBron James vs Kevin Gates beef explained: Rapper sparks backlash over comments on Savannah James

Rapper Kevin Gates’ latest remarks about LeBron James’ wife, Savannah James, have ignited serious backlash from the NBA legend himself. The back-and-forth feud escalated, starting a new beef after James’ recent heated verbal clash with Stephen A. Smith as the ESPN analyst made comments on the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s son’s NBA tenure. Here’s what went down that sparked the online clash.

It all started on April 19, when Gates posted a now-viral Instagram video in which he criticized Savannah’s demeanor toward her husband during games. “He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game, but I wouldn’t want to trade places with him,” Gates said. His reasoning? “I don’t like the way Savannah look at LeBron. I like the way them white women look at LeBron. As soon as he walks out there, they just be like, ‘Oh oh oh.’”

He didn’t stop there. The rapper went so far as to describe Savannah as “the warden of the jail”, claiming she polices LeBron’s every move. “When he go to do the handshake with the main player on his team … you act like I’m bothering you, b—h. I’m the greatest player in the world — one of ’em … and you act like the warden.” Gates said the energy LeBron brings is “so loving and giving” that it “hurt me to see that.”
Unsurprisingly, fans and critics alike were quick to call out the rapper for crossing a line, accusing him of disrespecting Savannah and promoting problematic stereotypes. But it was LeBron’s response that truly set the tone with royalty.
On April 20, LeBron posted two affectionate photos with Savannah on Instagram, including a caption that left no doubt about how he felt about Gates’ remarks:
“Kings don’t concern themselves with the opinions of peasants,” he wrote, followed by a Black queen emoji. “Where to next Queen?!?! Let’s get it!”

Still, Gates didn't back down. In a follow-up video posted the same day, the rapper doubled down on his comments. “The truth hurts, but it heals,” he said. “And 'Bron, I love you.” He then added, “Long as you being celebrated, I don't care who don't like me. Long as you being celebrated, that's all I care about.” Even as he expressed his admiration for LeBron, saying that his views were rooted in emotional honesty: “I love LeBron and I hate that for him,” he said.

“I know a lot of people gonna hate what I just said,” Gates noted in the original clip. “But I’m gonna be honest, if everybody like me then I’m p---y.”
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James has been under constant scrutiny, primarily for his son Bronny James’ NBA career as many believe that he has made it into the Los Angeles Lakers’ main roster for his father’s influence. James' prolonged feud with Stephen A. Smith was a headline grabber in the recent times and as his back-and-forth clash with the ESPN analyst seemingly ended, the new beef with the rapper puts the NBA veteran in the cycle of unending feud. As for James, he has been very protective of his family and Savannah also grabs headlines for her comments defending her family she share with the King. The couple shares three kids Bronny James, Bryce James, and Zhuri James.