LeBron James has made a slow start to the season and not by the virtue of points scored in a game but by the fact that he is shooting a record-low number of free throws per game. He is averaging a lowly 4.9 FTA per game, compared to his career average of 5.7 FTA. The reason? Perhaps a lack of calls in his favor and James has expressed his anger.
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He had started the season or rather the off-season with a goal to “learn how to trick the refs” for more foul calls. James’ game is based around an array of moves and he is predominantly a post-up player.
To see him miss out on a number of foul calls this season has been the source of Laker fans’ frustrations. James himself announced today that referees have been coming up to him and telling him that they missed a lot of calls. Part of it can be human error and the other can be the fact that refs are blatantly ignoring the King.
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LeBron James is not happy about foul calls or the lack thereof
He is irritated and making an expressive statement about foul calls is not characteristic of LeBron James. The King has typically been at the mercy of the refs and has received calls that have helped him out.
To hear refs come up to you and tell you they missed calls does not inspire confidence. We are sure LeBron feels the same way. And the Lakers need some calls to go their way. They rank dead last in offense. A couple of free-throw calls would help them seriously get out of this slump.
Also read: What Did LeBron Say About Kyrie Following His Antisemitism Row?
The Lakers superstar also tweeted about “Untold” Operation Flagrant Foul and Tim Donaghy
Just yesterday LeBron tweeted about watching Untold Operation Flagrant Foul, a documentary that revolved around NBA official Tim Donaghy. The referee was involved in a betting scandal while he officiated games. A truly shocking reveal for the NBA that threatened its collapse.
LeBron’s first viewing came last night and he was not happy about it. Perhaps today’s outcry about not receiving fouls came through a 20-minute watch of the documentary. LeBron might have gotten inspired by the dark underbelly of officiating and decided to take matters into his own hands.
Whether or not the NBA decides to give LeBron more foul calls is something we have to wait and see. But given the weight of the superstar’s word, it is likely we will see more of him at the charity stripe from the next game onwards.
