Watch: After Booting Fans for 'Obscene Words,' LeBron James Launches Repeated Expletives During Latest Loss
Earlier this season, NBA star LeBron James had two fans ejected for their behavior during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game at the Indiana Pacers. On Monday, he failed to live up to his own standard.
The Lakers were playing a home game against the Toronto Raptors, and things were not looking great for the home team. The Raptors held a 19-point lead with about five minutes left in the second quarter.
A Raptors player went up for a rebound, and James fouled him during the process. James then grabbed the ball and spiked it on the court multiple times.
At the same time, James began yelling at his teammates. While some of his exact words are difficult to make out, he seemed to be imploring his team to work harder for rebounds.
James can clearly be heard dropping multiple f-bombs before taking the Lord’s name in vain.
WARNING: The following media contains language some viewers may find offensive.
LeBron is very mad pic.twitter.com/TS8EK8lq7V
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) March 15, 2022
Anger is a somewhat natural reaction to losing, especially given how often the Lakers lose. Monday’s game would go on to be Los Angeles’ 29th loss out of 69 games played this season.
With that said, screaming expletives at teammates is not typically the most effective strategy for improvement. Furthermore, taking the Lord’s name in vain is always reprehensible, especially in the context of a basketball game.
The NBA is certainly a big deal in the United States, but that does not excuse disrespect for the Creator of all things. James slandered the name of the Lord because he was mad about the way his team was playing basketball, and that is nothing short of disgusting.
If that wasn’t bad enough, James’ rant is even more inappropriate in light of his previous actions this season.
During a Nov. 24, 2021, game against the Pacers, James led a referee to a pair of fans sitting courtside and asked the referee to remove them. He pointed to the pair and said, “Right f****** here.”
WARNING: The following media contains language some viewers may find offensive.
LeBron unhappy with some fans courtside in Indiana pic.twitter.com/1Ud3B69G1E
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) November 25, 2021
After the game, James explained his reasoning for having the fans ejected.
“I mean, nothing is uncomfortable for me, but you know, it’s a difference between cheering on your home faithful, you know, booing opponents and things of that nature and not wanting your opponents to be successful, and then there’s, you know, moments where it goes outside the line with obscene gestures and words,” James said.
“That shouldn’t be tolerated in our game from nobody. I would never say it to a fan, and a fan should never say it to a player.”
At the time, some pointed out the irony of James citing “obscene words” when he himself used an obscene word while asking the official to remove the fans.
WARNING: The following media contains language some viewers may find offensive.
BETA @KingJames can’t handle NBA fans heckling him so he has them ejected from the arena
Lebron said, When obscene gestures and language come into it, can’t be tolerated
Yet he’s seen screaming, this one right F*CKING here!
Rules for THEE, not for ME
— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) November 25, 2021
It is very possible the fans were going beyond just vulgar language in their comments to James, and that may be why he had them removed. Yet even if his frustration was justified, he could have asked for their removal without cursing at them himself.
With the November saga in mind, James’ explicit rant on Monday only further damages his reputation. Even worse, it wasn’t his only outburst on Monday.
Later in the game, the ball was heading out of bounds, and James attempted to save it by throwing it off an opposing player. This is a rather common practice in today’s NBA.
With that said, players typically try to bounce the ball off an opponent’s arm or leg and then out of bounds, so their team can keep possession. Instead, James seemed to spike the ball with full force straight into the stomach of Raptors’ rookie Scottie Barnes.
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 15, 2022
James may be a great basketball player, but he has yet to master the art of class in defeat.
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