It is not surprising to see LeBron James be in the headlines after a game. However, being in the news for an inexcusable mistake is a rare sight for him. Such was the case after the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when fans mocked James’ lack of effort during the dying moments of the clash.
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The Purple & Gold found themselves trailing by six points with merely 18.8 seconds remaining. Any chance for a comeback was over after Dalton Knecht missed a three-pointer. Ideally, once the game is practically over, according to an unwritten NBA rule, the opponents dribble the clock out as a sign of respect.
However, the Thunder still wanted to add a few more points to their tally considering that this was an Emirates NBA Cup matchup (total point differential has an implication). Hence, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander advanced with the ball to the frontcourt, every member of the Lakers rushed back on defense… every member except LBJ.
As clips of this play went viral on social media, users called the King out for his decision to head to the bench even before the final buzzer went off. NBA fans didn’t mince their words, being extremely critical of the 6ft 9” forward being a “quitter”.
Look at how much of a quitter Lebron is, the whole team got back on defense while this fraud just stays back
Kobe and Michael Jordan never did this type of
True definition of a frontrunner pic.twitter.com/7tEvM4XH49
— Thetruth (@Thetruth8240) November 30, 2024
You’re supposed to compete until the whistle regardless of if the outcome is already determined, because that’s what professional athletes do. Every other player on the court is abiding by that rule except one.
How can you justify this behavior without being biased? pic.twitter.com/MjxV3K9hKY
— (@Le_FRAUD23) November 30, 2024
James was at fault for this negligence. But it is possible that he forgot this was an NBA Cup matchup, where preventing any points from being scored would impact the LA side’s chances of qualifying for the elimination round.
James eventually hustled back on defense. However, his efforts came a bit too late. By the time he got there, D’Angelo Russell had already fouled Isaiah Hartenstein, who connected both his free throws to secure a 101-93 victory. While the Lakers were destined to lose, James’ defensive efforts might have reduced the deficit to six points instead of eight.
To be fair, given the type of criticism James has faced throughout his career, he would have been trolled on social media no matter what. Detractors would likely have claimed that the 39-year-old was overexerting himself for a lost cause and would’ve overanalyzed his reasoning for putting in so much effort.
So while the fans’ criticism is valid, we can’t always except a man nearing 40 rushing back on defense like a player in his 20s at the very end of the game. We should rather see if James’ defensive efforts is becoming a liability overall, which is not the case.
