LeBron James appeared to be caught off guard with a question about the death of Gregg Popovich's wife and handled it with the utmost class

Erin Popovich, the wife of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, died on Wednesday following an extended illness.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff game later in the day, TNT's Allie LaForce asked LeBron James about the death. James, who appeared to be learning about it for the first time and caught off guard, paused to formulate a thoughtful answer.

James handled the situation with class and had some nice words to say about Gregg and Erin Popovich.

"I'm a huge Pop fan — I love Pop," he said, adding: "I send my well wishes and my prayers up to the heavens above."

Many on social media criticized the question, saying it put James on the spot before he could know about Erin Popovich's death. But LaForce had chatted with James beforehand and let him know about the question.

You can watch the exchange below, via TNT.

James confirmed on social media that he was told about the question before going on air.

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