Shannon Sharpe Defends LeBron James Cursing at Rui Hachimura For Not Passing To Him During Heat Check

Much like he did during his Hall of Fame NFL career, Shannon Sharpe continues to protect his team’s quarterback. After all, what is LeBron James if not the offensive leader and orchestrator of the Los Angeles Lakers?

Sharpe’s defensiveness towards the King was on full display in 2022 when he nearly got into a scuffle with Ja Morant’s father over comments made during a Lakers-Grizzlies game. He continued that trend today by criticizing Rui Hachimura for not taking James’ hot hand during the kings game into consideration.

“Normally, they allow a guy to take a heat check. I mean, a guy gets cooking like that, you see a guy come half-court, one step towards half-court, he let it fly…Rui said nah. Let me interrupt your normally scheduled program of LeBron cooking and try to get me one,” Shannon Sharpe commented on his podcast ‘Nightcap’.

Sharpe’s anger comes following the Lakers’ comeback win against the Kings on Saturday night. After the first three quarters, it looked like Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox had the keys to the game. Instead, Crypto Arena witnessed LeBron James single-handedly spearhead the Lakers’ comeback, scoring 16 points in just 2 minutes and 59 seconds.

That’s why James, and even the fans watching, were surprised when Rui Hachimura decided not to swing it to the ‘man on fire’ with 8 minutes on the clock. Hachimura instead missed a 4-foot contested jumper and earned the ire of the King, who was open above the break.

“I just made 10 in a row and you’re gonna take a pull up contested 2? Swing, swing motherf***er,” LeBron James sniped at his teammate in the ensuing timeout.

Everyone inside Crypto Arena, and the fans tuning in online, were primed to see more of LeBron James’ dominance on the offensive end. He had made all six of his shot attempts in the fourth quarter, but after Hachimura interrupted his streak of consecutive baskets, James didn’t convert another basket for the rest of the night and finished out the game with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Fortunately, though, the Lakers secured their third straight win to begin the season, eking out a 131-127 victory. The King’s emotions were a reflection of how tight the game was, and in his post-game presser, he reflected on the improvements his team has shown this season.

After overcoming the Kings yesterday, the Purple and Gold have started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2010. Will LeBron James be able to surpass the Lakers’ 8-game win streak to open the 2010-11 NBA season? We’ll find out soon, as the Purple and Gold now face a five-game road trip, which starts with their second matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.