VIDEO: LeBron James stands up for “champion” Conor McGregor with inspiring message

LeBron James knows what it is like.

The basketball star has not always enjoyed the glory. He has been beaten, he has suffered injury, and he has been through dark times in his career as the world's most famous NBA stars (until that upstart Steph Curry came along). The Cleveland Cavaliers player has spoken before about how he is inspired by the Irish MMA star, and now he has sent the 27-year-old a message of inspiration from his own heart. McGregor's loss to Nate Diaz stunned not only his fans, but the featherweight champion himself. LeBron however feels that those who criticise the Drimnagh native don't understand what a true sportsman is, and what a champion he always will be, despite Saturday's defeat.

"Champions take lumps all the time. It doesn't make you less of a man. It doesn't make you less of a champion because you take an 'L'. It's not about how you react in the good of good; it's how you come back in the great (wake) of a loss or a defeat, when people say you're down."

https://twitter.com/FOXSports/status/706936953875275776?s=09 LeBron previously spoke about how he agrees with McGregor's comments that people who talk about God-given talent are spouting bullsh*t. And the former Miami Heat man feels that the Irish UFC star will bounce back from his stunning loss to Nate Diaz.

"I think he's as strong as who he was before that. (Name) any champion that's went down. Probably the greatest champion ever in Muhammad Ali went down before. So, it doesn't matter." "We always get caught up in wins and losses. He will be a champion for the rest of his life and no one can take it away from him. It will always be a part of his resumé. It will always be a part of what goes on with him and he's determined to continue to prove doubters wrong. "He's built that throughout his career and he will continue to do that as I've seen some of his quotes after the fight."