While LeBron James has been working on his golf swing this offseason, the future Hall of Famer has started to stir up some controversy for it.
James on Wednesday posted videos to his Instagram Story of him firing golf balls into the sea.
While James didn’t share his location, he appeared to be he appeared to be in Italy at the Faraglioni di Capri in the Gulf of Naples.
Fans were quick to respond to the post, voicing their frustrations with his “apparent lack of concern for the environment.”
It’s unclear what type of golf balls James was using. Biodegradable golf balls are available for such activities, though one X user was skeptical.
“I know bros using prov1 and not those biodegradable balls,” the user wrote.
According to CNN, over 100,000 golf balls are hit into the sea each year, next to the top five biggest markets for golf — Japan, South Korea, England, Germany and Australia — while a worldwide estimate for the number of golf balls hit into the ocean is more than 3 million.
Non-biodegradable golf balls can create plastic pollution and be harmful to marine life.
One of the biggest concerns that has caused backlash for James is the possibility of his golf balls landing in the blowholes of whales.
Golf has been a trending topic around the James family this offseason, as his son, Bronny James, made headlines recently for looking like a natural on the golf course.
James’ future with the Lakers is uncertain after they were eliminated in the second round by the Thunder. A recent report said that the team will prioritize re-signing Austin Reaves over James.
