LeBron James faces backlash for snapping at young fan celebrating Olympic victory in Paris

LeBron James has faced criticism after he was caught on camera snapping at a young fan who wanted a photo during his Olympic gold medal celebration night out.

The Los Angeles Lakers icon, fresh from securing his third Olympic gold with Team USA , was out celebrating in Paris when the incident occurred. Team USA clinched their fifth straight Olympic gold with a 98-87 win over France, with LeBron playing a pivotal role in the final. He racked up 14 points and registered 10 assists, while playing more minutes than any other player on the American squad.

The victory celebrations took LeBron to a Parisian restaurant, where he was spotted donning his gold medal and appeared to be carrying a bottle of wine. A TikTok video captured LeBron and his wife Savannah out in the French capital, showing him exiting a chauffeur-driven Mercedes and being approached by a young fan.

READ MORE: Steph Curry's wife clashes with police at Olympics after newborn baby 'hit in head'

READ MORE: Tyrese Haliburton reaction has fans in hysterics after winning gold medal despite barely playing

Dressed in his Team USA gear, LeBron was seen in the video firmly telling the fan "stop" and pointing in the boy's face, who responded by placing his hand on his chest. A member of James' party then steps in, ushering the boy away as LeBron walks away.

He then resumed his showman persona, pausing in the restaurant doorway to perform a brief dance for photographers, earning cheers and applause before greeting someone at the entrance and finally stepping inside.

His stern exchange with the young fan didn't go unnoticed by social media users, who criticized James for his response to the boy's request for a picture. One user slammed: "Such a shame, this kid will remember this for the rest of his life too". Another user condemned James, saying: "He would be nothing without fans. Shame on him. It takes two seconds to take a photo with the kid."

A third added: "The kid looks up to him and LeBron James told him to "stop" asking for his picture? What a missed opportunity and it reflects terribly on LeBron. We all have our bad days but the dance move going into his event doesn't look like a bad day to fans."

After the US clinched Olympic gold, James heaped praise onto his teammates for their victory. "Super humbled that I can still play this game," he expressed. "Played at a high level, played with 11 other great players and a great coaching staff and went on and did it for our country. It was a great moment around."

Chances are that James has experienced his last Olympic glory as a player, considering he'll be 43 by the time the 2028 Los Angeles Games come about. The team's makeup is expected to undergo significant changes as well. Stephen Curry, 36, and Kevin Durant, 35, also may have taken their final Olympic bows.