Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James seems to embrace the idea that New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is his heir apparent to the throne.

Considered the present and future of the league, the pair of incredible athletes shared a touching moment after the Lakers'122-114 triumph over the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Sunday evening.

Still, the nice gesture will likely still be nitpicked by LeBron detractors, who will claim that James is way too friendly to the rest of the competition. As great as the 35-year-old superstar has consistently been, James has still been criticized by some for supposedly not being as fierce as a competitor like fellow all-time greats Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers All-Star once again addressed those concerns post-game, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register:

“Anybody that says, ‘LeBron, why would he do that while he’s playing? He’s showing signs of weakness, he’s buddy-buddy with these guys he’s going against.’ Tell em to kiss my ass. With a smile, too,” leBron told reporters after the game.

The King also added that it is his obligation and job to continue to pass on the game to the guys coming after him.

“It's my responsibility. No one told me to do that. I just feel like this is my responsibility to leave the game in a better place than what I had,” he furthered.

LeBron James, meanwhile, continues to defy Father Time in his 17th year in the league, recording another triple-double with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 dimes for the Lakers in their win over the Pelicans.

Zion Williamson, meanwhile, has been a force since returning from injury. He put up 35 points and seven boards against James.