WFAN host Craig Carton sharply criticized filmmaker Spike Lee this week, accusing him of going too far during the NBA All-Star festivities and urging that he be barred from league arenas.
Speaking on his Monday program, Carton reacted angrily after Lee was seen seated courtside at the All-Star Game with a bag displaying a Palestine Liberation Organization flag, at the same time Israeli-born player Deni Avdija was making history. “Spike Lee should be banned from every basketball game for the rest of his life,” Carton said in a clip shared on social media. “The fact that Spike Lee would protest the fact that an Israeli-born player made it to the All-Star game… The player’s not political, the player’s just playing basketball. There’s no place for this.”
The incident took place during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Lee, long associated with the New York Knicks as one of their most visible celebrity fans, was photographed sitting near the court carrying the PLO-themed bag. The moment drew heightened attention because Avdija, now a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, had just become the first Israeli-born athlete ever selected to participate in the league’s All-Star Game.
Carton also faulted the NBA itself for permitting the display, suggesting it detracted from what should have been a milestone celebration for Avdija. “But for the NBA to open up their doors and front-row service to a despicable human being and allow him to make this Israeli-born player feel bad, he shouldn’t be allowed in Madison Square Garden,” Carton stressed. “He shouldn’t be allowed in another NBA arena for a long time.”
While many in Israel viewed Avdija’s selection as a proud achievement, Lee’s choice of attire drew criticism from those who argued that political messaging did not belong at a sporting event. Lee has not publicly commented on the matter.
The controversy extended beyond Lee. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers also faced backlash after remarks he made about Israel during his All-Star media availability.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, James was asked by an Israeli journalist about Avdija. He replied, “I said I believe he was an All-Star. He’s playing exceptional basketball. So that’s that.”
He then addressed Israel more broadly, stating, “If I have fans over there – I’ve never been there – I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but be better in general in life. Hopefully someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard nothing but great things.”
His comments quickly ignited debate online. British-American commentator Mehdi Hasan reacted on Twitter, writing, “What a disgrace LeBron is,” while reposting a message from Laila Al-Arian of Al Jazeera that read, “The entire human rights community: Israel is an apartheid state committing genocide and ethnic cleansing. LeBron James: ‘I’ve heard great things about Israel.’”
Other users on social media accused James of ignoring “Palestinian Arab suffering” and argued that speaking positively about Israel was inappropriate in light of the ongoing conflict.
James has not issued any further response to the criticism.