LeBron James vs Hwang Dong-hyuk: 'Squid Game' creator shuts down NBA star for dig at hit show

The 36-year-old's comment didn't appear to have sat well with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who took a jab at LeBron James' 'Space Jam 2'
UPDATED OCT 27, 2021
LeBron James was criticized by 'Squid Game' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk (Getty Images for Hammer Museum, Presley Ann/Getty Images)
LeBron James was criticized by 'Squid Game' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk (Getty Images for Hammer Museum, Presley Ann/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James recently revealed during a press conference with teammate Anthony Davis that he "didn't like" the ending of Netflix's 'Squid Game', a series that became a global phenomenon. The 36-year-old's comment didn't appear to have sat well with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, who took a dig at James 'Space Jam 2', a movie that was panned by critics.

Per The Guardian, Dong-hyuk had a sly giggle when asked about James' comments on 'Squid Game' before he took a potshot: "Have you seen Space Jam 2?" The NBA star's animated movie with longtime TV screen veteran Bugs Bunny was one of the much-anticipated movies of the year, but turned out to be a damp squib. The film described as "convoluted" when it came to dissecting the plot currently holds a paltry 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Dong-Hyuk still maintained that he has the highest respect for the athlete.

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"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series," Hwang opined, before stating that he still stands by his choice to end the series the way he intended to. "But I wouldn't change my ending. That's my ending,' he remarked. He also added that if James could work on an ending that "would satisfy him."

"Maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, "I liked your whole show, except the ending."'. The comments come after a press conference on October 13 where Davis and James discuss 'Squid Game'. "Yep, I finished it. Did you finish it? Did you watch it? You done?," asked James, to which Davis replied: "Yes!" The series premiered in September and opened to rave reviews. It follows debt-riddled players who "accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games" hoping of win cash prizes that would change their lives — except the tasks are deadly. 

The 28-year-old told James that he was "seriously involved" with the story and binged all nine episodes. On his part, James said he didn't like the ending. Davis attempted to explain the ending that sees the protagonist Seong Gi-hun decided to skip his flight to America in order to fight the people behind the Squid Game in South Korea. The flight storyline was supposed to reunite Seong with his young daughter.

'Squid Game' is available for streaming on Netflix.

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