Michael Jordan’s former teammate Ron Harper sends heartfelt message to LeBron James for playoffs

LeBron James found himself on the receiving end of criticism from Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who ripped the future Hall of Famer for not wearing a shirt during his pregame workout several hours before LA's game against the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Instead of clapping back, James took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to praise Lakers coach JJ Redick on a 50-win season in his first year at the helm in LA. James wrote:

"Man I was going to say something but it’s useless at this point in my career! Anyways more important CONGRATULATIONS JJ on a 50 win season in the WEST & Post Season nod! That’s 🔥🔥🔥🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🫡"

The post caught the attention of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, who famously won three titles with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the team's second three-peat.

In response to James, Harper sent the four-time champ some well wishes ahead of the playoffs, encouraging the future Hall of Famer to keep balling and having fun.

"My brother just keep ballin and having fun…. Good luck in the playoffs," Harper wrote.

Currently, LA is ranked third in a competitive Western Conference, with just one game separating them from fourth place, where the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are tied.

With just one game left in the regular season, JJ Redick has officially coached his team to a playoff berth in his first year, while staving off a potential play-in appearance in a stacked Western Conference.

Given that, the expectation is that he will wind up receiving consideration for Coach of the Year; however, right now, BetMGM has Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson as the favorite to win the award, with Redick ranked fourth in betting odds as of Monday.

LeBron James suffers apparent groin injury in Lakers' win over the Houston Rockets

While Ron Harper wished LeBron James well ahead of the NBA Playoffs, the four-time champion suffered a groin injury in LA's win over the Houston Rockets on Friday.

During the third quarter, James appeared to grimace during a non-contact play before limping off the court. He played just 22 minutes as LA picked up a 140-109 win over a Rockets team that was far from full strength.

While LeBron James didn't check back into the game, fans noticed that after a late-game stepback 3-pointer from Austin Reaves, the future Hall of Famer moonwalked back to the bench, a good sign that he didn't suffer a catastrophic injury.

As JJ Redick told members of the press after the game, LeBron James is, quote, fine.

While it's unclear whether he will play in LA's final game of the regular season on Sunday, when the team collides with the Portland Trail Blazers, James will have until either Apr. 19 or Apr. 20, depending on scheduling, to rest and recover before playoff action tips off.