Lakers Legend Michael Cooper: 'I Didn't Like' Video of LeBron James Eating on Bench

LeBron James was shown eating a fruit salad on the bench during the Los Angeles Lakers preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors last Friday and a member of the Showtime Lakers was not a fan.

In Sunday's Showtime with Coop podcast, five-time NBA Champion Michael Cooper expressed (h/t USA Today's Lorenzo Reyes) his dislike for James' decision to publicly consume the fruit salad, saying the bench was not an appropriate place to do so.

"I didn't like that," Cooper said "Again, he's LeBron James, but still, you've got to have respect for the game, man. He's over there I don't mind the guy eating, but go eat in the locker room, and then when you come out, you come out and be part of the team, not just sit on the end of the bench eating."

James played in the first half of the matchup, which the Lakers lost 129-125. He scored 12 points, dished out five assists and grabbed two rebounds in 18 minutes. He came back out for the second half in casual clothing and that is when he started eating the fruit salad.

It would be hard to imagine James doing this during a regular season matchup but the more relaxed atmosphere of the preseason may have presented more of an opportunity to do so. While the sight was strange enough to go viral, James was notably gesturing and communicating to teammates and was overall engaged with the action on the court.

The preseason is set to come to an end very soon and James' play will certainly be the main story as opposed to his food consumption going forward. The 38-year-old will begin his 21st season in the NBA on Oct. 24 when the Lakers take on the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. ET.