LeBron James missed the Lakers’ game against the Knicks on Tuesday and felt his one-game suspension was unwarranted, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. James struck the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face on Sunday and was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul. The league suspended James on Monday and handed Stewart a two-game ban for repeated “unsportsmanlike acts.” They were battling for position on a free throw attempt.
“When I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away,” James said. “So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental.”
We have more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Lakers guard Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double against the Knicks and a near triple-double against the Pistons. Anthony Davis wants to see Westbrook play with an aggressive style, McMenamin relays in a separate story. “I tell him before every game: ‘Be nobody but yourself. That’s why we brought you here,'” Davis said. “I think a lot of times, he tries to go passive and to start passing the basketball, looking for other guys, which is great, but kind of takes him out of a rhythm. And he can do the same for guys while being aggressive.”
- Carmelo Anthony is averaging 15 PPG in his new role as the Lakers’ top reserve. Anthony, who is playing for the veteran’s minimum, has proven he can be effective off the bench after being the No. 1 scoring option most of his career, as McMenamin notes at ESPN.com. “I’m still here doing it,” Anthony said. “I think that’s what I’m honestly excited about. I’m here in Year 19 still doing what I’m able to do. Still passionate about the game. Still passionate about coming to work every day and getting better.”
- Marcus Morris felt good after playing 31 minutes for the Clippers on Tuesday, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Morris had missed a month due to knee soreness. “Take a month off, I think I looked good myself,” he said. “Shots will come, rhythm will come, I’m a veteran, just felt great to be out there.”
Funny thing is anytime LeBron gets hit even a little contact in the head he goes straight into acting mode. He falls to the ground and covers his face like he is injured. Always trying to get a player kicked out or a flagrant foul attached to very little contact. Please Lebron fans do not pretend like this doesn’t happen.
Why he will never be considered the greatest of all time.
Long list of reasons why he won’t. This just adds another to the list.
Its my biggest complaint about LeBron. He is such a great player who doesn’t need to act every time he gets hit like its a injury. Second would be him complaining every time a foul is called on him. His complaining to refs makes you want to hate him.
That’s if they even call a foul on his honor, LeBron. 19th in career games. 228th in career personal fouls.
Great stat!
Exactly especially considering not just his talent but he’s a physical specimen.
Steph curry doesn’t react like Lebron does when he gets fouled. It’s clearly theatrics.
Lebron knows what he did. His detailed response was a defense. Stewart did jab him, but Lebron punched not “swipe” or “swim” at him. I believe lebron didn’t intend to hit his face though.
You guys should just start up a support group at this point
Name me a player who doesn’t do this? They *ALL* try to sell contact. C’mon…You could hand out an Oscar to a different player every weekend. smh
Washed King!!
Cry baby King
Among current Greats, Lakers have 38% of All Time Greats
Lakers can’t win in regular season, but they will be good come playoffs time
it’s going to be great when they don’t and lebron cries again.
I suppose the Lakers will be good come playoffs time because Vogel is one of the top coaches in the NBA, right? Their record this season looks like it will be about the same as last season when they qualified for the play-in tournament. So even if the Lakers make the playoffs, they’ll be lucky just to reach the 2nd round. They won’t stand a chance against Utah or Golden State.
Drama Queen James at it again. Even Stevie Wonder could see that he did that on purpose.
Melo has played with more intensity and unselfishly than he did in NY, but he’s starting to get big headed again. Taking way too many shots, and making big deal out of 3 pointers made when the other team is also scoring at will. Just one of those guys who love personal scoring over winning. Too bad.
Westbrook gets so fired up with triple doubles. When he gets one, he gets even more hyper and pretends to play hard, even when the team is losing. He goes home feeling great about himself even though team lost, and pretends to care about winning. Pathetic!
I think it would be funny if the league tacked another game onto LeBron’s suspension for publicly complaining…
“Grazed his face”? That’s one way of putting it I guess.
Don’t you worry LBJ, all & every hoops fan in the world knows that it was accidental, hardly touched the dude, but he is full of the rabies or something, maybe high of his head on the drugs, his reaction was criminal for a non-action from “The King”!
We all agree that the suspension was absolutely outrageous & gratuitous… now if the league wanted they could have added a few games to Stewart… or even better send him to Bulgaria with a one way ticket!
So many haters on this post. Lebron is the goat, suck it up and recognize greatness
Sadly he might go down as the best nba player.
I say sadly because he can be so much better.
His competitiveness level varies game to game, team to team, situation to situation, etc.
He’s not shy to throw teammates under bus or pout in the middle of the game.
Not even close to the GOAT. Top 5 definitely
I don’t even rank him that high. I don’t care about his stats or accolades. The guy has the mental toughness of a 7 year old who just lost their lollipop.
BB is an open hand combat sir LeBron …
Watch the replay in slow motion. 100% intentional. He may have honestly felt bad immediately afterwards, but Lebron hit him in the face intentionally.
Bron swung high. He’s a diva. Who thinks rules don’t apply to him. Truly privileged. Stewart should of swung right away. Cause later no one was going to let anything happen.
You guys might want to look up Willis Reed. How he went after whole team on their bench. And no one could stop him. No one messed with Knicks or Willis EVER. Wilt Chamberlain never messed with Willis. Not even when Willis had one leg lol. Look it up.
Lakers are built around Bron and AD. Westbrook needs to fit in with them. What I think they need most from him. Is his scoring when they sit. And his playmaking when they all play. Lakers have to be healthy to see real product. They are still a playoff team. Just don’t know how good yet. But it shows you how fragile they are. If they lose a player.
So all the so called experts. Don’t know SQUAT. So stop listening to them. And believe your eyes. Not their words.
He made up for missing the game against the Knicks by having two fans ejected in Indiana last night.
For saying they hope his son dies in a car accident. That’s over the line.
When I searched earlier for what the fans said nothing was reported. They shouldn’t have said that.
He should also get the same fine Fred VanVleet got for his gesture at the end of the game.
After watching Jordan in college and his entire pro career and now lebron, no question in my mind James is more dominant of the two. Jordan a ballerina James a beast. I will take the beast. No question the most dominant of all time .
Sorry but I’ll take the guy who went 6-0 in the Finals with 6 Finals MVPs but to each their own.
Yup, to each his own. It could also be noted that MJ did not make the NBA finals without pippen or rodman!
Same with lebron, he had to team up with wade, and bosh to get the championship.
It’s a team game. I’ll take Lew Alcindor 1st. But you can’t go wrong with Bron or MJ. But who do you play with them. This gm is Not one on five.
I’ll take MJ with Pippen, Rodman, Harper, and Longley.
Uh, who is Lew Alcindor? I cannot remember anyone by that name…8-p
It was Beauty (ballerina) killed the Beast. End of discussion.
LeBron could be the most dominant of all-time, or could have been however you want to put it, but he turns that aggressive mentality on and off. You can’t be considered the best or even a beast when you have an off switch and coast way too often.
MJ and Kobe were beasts, LeBron is alot closer to a whiny beach than a beast…His mentality is why he’ll NEVER be the GOAT, he’s way too privileged, and when things don’t go his way he has a tendency to quit..That’s your beast?? I’ll pass
Also, I’m willing to bet you wouldn’t call MJ a ballerina to his face..lol The man was notorious for being a hardass, LeBron…he’s notorious for complaining…
The debate just isn’t even close, and it never will be..Good lord how easy some people forget..
Also, if we are talking most dominant, I’m putting Kareem and Shaq ahead of LeBron as well..
Players might not want to face LeBron, but they were actually scared to go up against MJ, Kareem, and Shaq
Was Wilt Chamberlain dominant? Why do people waste their time on this debate, you simply cannot compare players decades apart.
Yes George Mikan dominated in his time…
I feel like KAREEM is the forgotten man in all these conversations dude had 3 national championships, 6 NBA championships, 6 mvps and the all time scoring leader.
Kareem, Jordan, and Bill Russell are the top 3 of all time.