Channing Frye trolls LeBron James' haters claiming he pays media personnel to "pump him up"

LeBron James is one of the most divisive figures in NBA history, with some of his haters going to great lengths and making up conspiracy theories. One of the recent theories about "King James" is that he pays the media to "pump him up" on national television.

Channing Frye, a former NBA player and teammate of James, responded to a couple of trolls who made such claims. Frye works as an analyst on NBA TV, while also having the "Road Trippin'" podcast with Richard Jefferson and Allie Clifton.

It's one of the first player-hosted podcasts in the NBA, with Frye and Jefferson launching it during their time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two have been close since college, when they were playing for the Arizona Wildcats.

Here's a couple of Frye's responses to trolls on X, formerly known as Twitter:

Obviously, Channing Frye is close to LeBron James since they played together in Cleveland and were part of the 2016 NBA championship team. However, it's absurd to think that Frye is on James' payroll, as he's not the only former player, media personnel and analyst to discuss the LA Lakers superstar.

No matter how positive or negative, James attracts news, and it's one of the reasons why he's still the face of the league at the age of 40. Every move, every play and every comment is under scrutiny.

At this point, some people just can't seem to love what James is doing as the oldest player in the NBA. He's not going to be around for long, especially with a potential ownership looming around the corner.

James made headlines last month after confronting ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on the sidelines. It was the first time the four-time NBA champion confronted a critic, who questioned his parenting of Bronny James.

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LeBron James beats Anthony Davis at reunion game in Dallas

LeBron James beats Anthony Davis at reunion game in Dallas. (Photo: IMAGN)

For the first time since the early February trade between the LA Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis played against his former team. Davis missed their first reunion in late February due to injury but was cleared to play on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center.

It was Luka Doncic's night since it was his first game back in Dallas after the shocking trade. Doncic had 45 points, taking over the first half and the fourth quarter. LeBron James added 28 points to help the Lakers earn a 112-97 victory.

Davis, meanwhile, had a quiet 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavs. It wasn't his best game since returning, and he needs to be much better for the play-in tournament.