Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was the target of comments from LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva earlier this week, and now LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has spoken out.

Over the weekend, a gunman walked up to a sheriffs deputy vehicle and shot two deputies sitting inside the car in the head and face at point-blank range. The two are currently in critical but stable condition in a hospital.

In an interview with 790 KABC on Monday night following the weekend shooting, Villanueva called for LeBron James to match the $100,000 reward that was issued for in an effort to find the gunman responsible for the shooting of two LA County sheriffs deputies.

“I want to make a challenge to LeBron James,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Monday. “I want you to match that and double that reward because I know you care about law enforcement. You expressed a very interesting statement on race relations and officer-involved shootings and the impact that it has on the African-American community and I appreciate that, but likewise, we need to appreciate that respect for life goes across professions, races, creeds, and I’d like to see LeBron James step up to the plate and double that.”

When asked about the ordeal and the sheriff getting LeBron James involved as an act of ‘fanning flames,' Doc Rivers denied that notion, saying he believed the intent was to simply bring awareness to the shooting and bring the gunman to justice.

“Listen, I don’t think anyone’s fanning flames,” Rivers said. “I just think we’re drawing attention to things that are happening in our country. Like I said the other night, we don’t want any sheriffs, we don’t want anyone killed, period, so if you just stop there and we can make it a better, safer place for all, that’s what we want. That’s all I have to say about it.”

Rivers and the Clippers have a Game 7 on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, with the winner moving on to face LeBron James and the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.