The Los Angeles Lakers point forward LeBron James took to Instagram to respond to criticism he got for his shoeless celebration during the Lakers-Jazz game on Wednesday night:

“Imagine doing your job at the highest level to where you’re not needed anymore, giving your shoes to a lil girl and boy who you inspire and hoped you made proud that night, then cheering on your teammates cause you love seeing them succeed more than yourself only to be criticized while doing it. People it’s the world we live in and you can’t let it ever stop you from your purpose in life. Negativity, bad energy, hate, envy, etc etc will try to bring you down throughout your journey and it’s up to you on how you handle it. I handle it by simply saying “Thank You” with a [smile] on my face and continue to push forward while doing it!”