NBA champion Mercedes-Benz has made a controversial claim that superstars like LeBron James routinely miss foul calls that "level the playing field" for less talented players.

World Peace, who won the league championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010, made the comments in response to news that the Lakers contacted the NBA league office to complain about James' missed foul calls in a recent loss to the Miami Heat.

'World Peace' said on X (formerly Twitter): 'King James and Shaq always get missed calls to balance the game so that those who can't play can play'.

The "World Peace" comment sparked debate among NBA fans, with some arguing that superstars tend to get the short end of the stick when it comes to fouls, while others believe the referees treat all players equally.

LeBron James impresses despite Lakers loss

Despite the Lakers' loss to the Heat, LeBron James impressed many NBA fans with his performance, leading his team to a close win while teammate Anthony Davis was out with an injury.

James scored 30 points in the game, but it wasn't enough to stop the Lakers from falling to 3-4 on the season.

James' efforts didn't go unnoticed as fans took to social media to praise his performance.

"Beautiful work rate excellent," one fan wrote on X.

"He's the king," another fan added.

Another fan wrote, "It's been 21 years and King James is still [on fire]."

James is currently playing in the NBA, this is his 21st season and his sixth with the Lakers.