What did LeBron James do wrong while posing with the royal couple?

His nickname is King James, but that doesn’t mean the NBA’s biggest star actually knows royal protocol.

LeBron James met Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Catherine, after the Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, presenting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with jerseys and posing for photos.

It was during that second part that some British media outlets would like us to think that James got himself into some trouble, reporting that the four-time NBA MVP broke royal protocol by putting his arm around the duchess.

Of course, it’s true that no one is supposed to touch members of the royal family, which Kate Middleton became a part of when she married the prince back in 2011. But is an old tradition like that really a big deal in this day and age, especially with a royal couple that presents itself as down-to-earth as William and Catherine do?

But U.K. newspapers the Independent and the Telegraph posted stills from the photo shoot on their websites that make the encounter look “awkward,” to use both sites’ word.

One photo has Catherine staring suspiciously at James’ hand on her shoulder, another with a particularly creepy-looking James putting his arm around her and one that suggests a confrontational moment between the two men.

But check out the video from the photo shoot. James clearly means no harm with the gesture and Catherine doesn’t seem to mind whatsoever. The basketball star seems genuinely thrilled to be hanging out with the royal couple, and vice versa.

Pretty sure this won’t turn out to be an international incident.

Twitter: @chewkiii