LeBron James salutes Ronaldo after 'nasty' bicycle kick

NBA star LeBron James has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal international's stunning bicycle kick against Juventus caught waves around the world.

LeBron James (L) and Cristiano Ronaldo Source: Getty Images

Ronaldo scored two goals as Real Madrid eased to a 3-0 win over Juventus in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday (AEST).

And while his first goal was predatory, his second was pure magic or - in the words of James - just plain "nasty".

"Are you not entertained!?!?!," James said via his Instagram.

"@Cristiano that's just not even fair. Nasty!!"

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford echoed James' sentiments on social media, tweeting: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a joke. What a player!".

As did AC Milan legends Ruud Gullit and Franco Baresi.

Ronaldo has now scored in a record 10 consecutive UEFA Champions League matches and took his overall goal tally to 39 across all competitions this season.