Despite the Los Angeles Lakers leading 90% of the game, LeBron James seemed frustrated more than once. Understandably so, considering he was carrying this Purple and Gold team in the absence of its two biggest superstars. The 41-year-old scored a team-high 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds on 11 of 17 shooting from the field. That is highly likely one significant reason why a Dubs fan was heckling him, but not the only reason.
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This was the Golden State Warriors’ last home game at Chase Center. The Bay Area faithful would’ve expected them to end their home streak on a high note and even level their regular-season series with the Lakers 2-2. Those expectations took a hit when Steve Kerr decided to keep Stephen Curry out of this one to avoid having him play consecutive games. So, with 6:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, the broadcast caught a fan shouting in the background. That caught James’ attention. This home fan was clearly frustrated by the Lakers’ 24-point lead. This is how the interaction took place.
In his 23rd season, James has seen every kind of heckling, from a barrage of words to finger salutes. That’s why, on Friday night, he was irritated, but remained composed and made sure to put the fan in place. He was walking down the bench as the fan started chirping. It continued for a good 15-20 seconds. “You need to relax,” James said. “Dude, you relax,” the viewer immediately responded. Normally, the Lakers legend would take these interactions lightly, but he continued hitting back.
“Just watch the game,” James said. “Dude, you’re winning,” the fan responded again. “It doesn’t matter, relax,” the 41-year-old responded before the camera panned away. His performance in the game was crucial with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart still missing. Deandre Ayton unexpectedly had a decent outing with 21 points and five rebounds after catching a stray from head coach JJ Redick after the previous game. James also survived an injury scare in this game…
The LA veteran appeared to hurt his hand when he smacked it off the backcourt. He was back in no time, though, after a quick break on the bench, noting it as a nagging injury. James also shared a special moment with his son, Bronny, in this game. The youngster set his dad up for a fastbreak slam dunk! It turned out to be the first son-to-father assist. James has experienced heckling throughout his career, but the last time he was in such a situation, he played along instead of getting worked up.
It was during the Lakers’ 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. During the December 7 matchup, a fan sitting courtside yelled, “You still ain’t got no hair though.” James heard it and, instead of lashing out, laughed. “It happens,” he said, brushing off the comment like background noise. Then he delivered a quiet knockout. “You know what I do got though,” James added, pausing deliberately, concluding, “And plenty of it.” Different nights, different reactions. Tonight, though, apart from the celebratory moment with his son, it wasn’t always fun and games between the two of them.
LeBron James disapproved of his son’s play; what did he say?
The playoff picture in the West is still unclear for the Purple and Gold. With 4:43 remaining in the second quarter of Friday’s clash, the Lakers held a slim 41-39 lead. That’s when Bronny committed what could have been a very costly turnover. James Jr. attempted a post-entry bounce pass to Deandre Ayton. It was too low and too wide, and even the commentators called him out.
“The playmaking ability that he’s showing… and that’s a bad pass, and it’s down low, and Bronny James throws it away.” This was a cue for the camera crew to look for Papa James, who was on the bench. His reaction of sheer disappointment went viral on social media. He shook his head and looked down at the floor. Bronny redeemed himself with 10 points in 21 minutes and 4 of 7 shooting. This was a clear case of LeBron James expecting the best from his son.
Expect more visuals like this because Bronny’s game time is set to increase with most of the Lakers’ starters remaining sidelined due to injury. The victory kept LA in fourth in the West with two games left. They are tied with the Houston Rockets at 51-29, but James’ team holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series. So, if the Lakers win their next two games, they will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Diego Coby
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