LeBron James has been in mid-season form already in the first week of the 2024-25 season. However, with his high usage rate and minutes per game, the King has also been involved in some unfortunate plays, one of which just got featured as a Shaqtin’ A Fool moment.
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This week’s hilarious list captured all the biggest gaffes from the NBA’s opening contests and the four-time NBA Champion found himself on the podium at #3. His Shaqtin A Fool moment came during the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Following a tip-in basket by Julius Randle, the Purple and Gold were inbounding the ball. However, the Timberwolves, known for their stifling defense, had crowded the paint to try and deny any easy entry passes. That’s exactly what they achieved.
LeBron attempted to throw a high pass to Anthony Davis, away from the lingering hands of Donte DiVincenzo. Of course, what the 22-season veteran didn’t account for was the backboard right above him. As soon as James let the ball go from his hands, it bounced off the back of the backboard and fell into the sidelines, giving the possession back to Minnesota.
Shaquille O’Neal, the patron saint of Shaqtin’ A Fool, quipped “LeBron, time to get your eyes checked.”
As a player who led the NBA in assists just four years ago, it’s unlikely that the King was facing any optical issues. His Lakers would go on to win their opener against the Timberwolves despite James’ errant play.
The 39-year-old has simply continued to defy Father Time in his first four games of the season (without wearing any glasses).
However, it’s surprising how James rarely features on the TNT segment despite his presence in the league for so long. It actually makes the Lakers superstar the perfect candidate for Shaqtin’ A Fool. It’s one of the few times we get to see him as a mortal.
James was missing from Shaqtin’ A Fool for 10 months
In January of this year, we saw LeBron’s last appearance on Shaquille O’Neal’s list. That time too, it was an ambitious pass from the King that earned him attention for all the wrong reasons.
James was higher on the podium though, as he boasted that week’s #2 Shaqtin’ A Fool moment. It came against the Chicago Bulls, as LeBron was bringing the ball up the court. However, he randomly left it behind his back for Anthony Davis to collect. The problem? James hadn’t turned around to notice that AD was still under the basket.
The ball hilariously rolled out of bounds and Shaquille O’Neal made sure that the fans did not forget about it. As good as the connection between the Brow and the King is, their high volume of plays together also feature the occasional miscommunication.
