Before LeBron James decides where he'll play his 24th NBA season, he's got another rivalry going off the court.
The four-time NBA champion has been trading playful jabs with comedian Kevin Hart over their golf game, and the back-and-forth picked up once again this week. It started after James shared a video from inside a golf pro shop, where he held up a set of junior golf clubs and joked they were meant for Hart.
The clip came after Hart recently claimed his golf game had improved enough to beat James in an 18-hole match the two have planned for next fall.
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Hart recently appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," where he pulled no punches while talking about his golf outings with James, saying they've been playing together from Thursday through Sunday.
“[Expletive] him. He’s a cheater. He’s a dishonest golfer,” Hart shouted as Fallon tried to calm him down. “I had more love for LeBron before he started all this, ‘I'm adding another year. I’m going to another team.’”
Hart continued the joke by saying he never asked James about his NBA future because he wasn't interested in discussing basketball. Instead, he was more concerned about what a potential move away from Los Angeles would mean for their regular golf schedule.
“I don't care about what that man is doing with basketball. He is messing up our golf routine,” Hart added. “I don't want him to play at all because he's messing up our schedule! He's messing up our schedule, man! This whole new team thing is going to throw our schedule off.”
Hart's comments were clearly made in fun, continuing the playful exchange the two have carried on throughout the offseason.
As for James, his NBA future remains one of the biggest talking points of the offseason. The four-time NBA champion has yet to reveal where he'll suit up next, with speculation around his future continuing as he takes his time before making a decision.
For now, though, James appears to be enjoying his offseason, spending plenty of time on the golf course while keeping fans guessing about the next chapter of his career.
Hart, meanwhile, seems more interested in making sure nothing gets in the way of their regular rounds than where James eventually ends up playing.
