WASHINGTON (TND) — Kyle Rittenhouse was mocked for his emotional reaction during his self-defense trial last month, including by NBA star LeBron James who ridiculed the teen’s tears that came out on the stand.

“What tears?????” James questioned in a social media post after Rittenhouse took the stand. “I didn’t see one. Man knock it off! That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court.”

While Rittenhouse admitted being a fan of the NBA star, he didn’t let James’ mockery go unanswered. “I was a Lakers fan too before he said that. I was really pissed off when he said that because I liked LeBron, and then I’m like, you know what, f*** you, LeBron,” said Rittenhouse when discussing the basketball player’s ridicule while appearing on an episode of Elijah Schaffer’s “You Are Here” podcast.

“You know, you have to give the man credit it took all four of his brain cells to construct that tweet,” co-host Sydney Watson chimed in. “Well he had to run it by China first,” added the show’s on-air producer.

James has been criticized for what some critics believe is an affinity for China. A few years ago, when the NBA threw Houston Rockets’ former general manager Daryl Morey under the bus for supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, James asserted Morey was “either misinformed or not really educated on the situation.”

NBA Center Enes Kanter, who has become known for speaking out against China, called out James last month in a social media post exhibiting shoes designed to question the NBA’s connection to China.

“Money over Morals for the ‘King,’” Kanter tweeted. “Sad & disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do ‘shut up & dribble’ when Big Boss [China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”

Written by ALEC SCHEMMEL