Miami Heat star and league MVP LeBron James is apologizing for a pregame comment he made prior to the defending champ's showdown game against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to the Palm Beach Post, when asked about Durant's recent improvement as a passer James told reporters "I actually think that's a pretty funny thing when people say 'people's growth of passing the ball.' That is retarded to me. Kevin Durant's growth of being a passer? That's part of basketball."
The newspaper adds somewhere between the Thunder's 112-95 beatdown of the Heat and James taking postgame questions, he apparently realized the error of his ways.
"I used the word 'retarded' before the game,: James told reporters before answering any game-related questions. "Obviously it had nothing to do with kids that are underprivileged. It's no knock on them. It's a word that's been around for a long time where I grew up. It's a bad habit. I'll try to break it. If I use it again- I'm gonna try to do my best not to. I mean no disrespect."
Previously James was also criticized for his use of the word during a 2011 press conference.
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