Los Angeles Lakers

19 May 2023

NBA Twitter Fries LeBron James & Anthony Davis After Nuggets Go 2-0 Over Lakers

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NBA: Lakers vs Nuggets

LeBron James is no stranger to criticism after a tough loss considering he remains as one of the most recognizable figures in the NBA. After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, fans on Twitter are giving LeBron James and Anthony Davis the business.

Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is the top name for Denver but it was the exploits of Jamal Murray that lifted the team over James and company. Murray poured in 37 points in a fourth-quarter explosion where he scored 23 points after his team was down in the second half. Jokic, continuing his uncanny triple-double production, dropping 23 points on 9-21 shooting and hauling in 17 rebounds with 12 assists.

On the other side, James scored 22 points on 9-19 shooting and dropped 10 assists, and pulled down nine boards. Davis made just four of 15 shots to score 18 along with 14 rebounds. Austin Reaves, once again showing expert poise went eight for 16 from the field with 22 points and was joined by Rui Hachimura who dropped 21 points.

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone expressed some frustration on how his team has been covered in the press with all the attention going towards the Lakers. While Los Angeles remains to be a marquee team, few analysts predicted them to be squaring off with anyone this deep into the playoffs.

After Nikola Jokic’s monster game in the opener, his pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray took the spotlight in the Western Conference finals Thursday night.

“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone said. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had [a] historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.”

On Twitter, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are getting blasted for their performance. We’ve got the tweets below.

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Photo: Getty

11 May 2023

Shaquille O’Neal & Charles Barkley Lose It On Air After Anthony Davis Injury

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Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors - Game Five

Anthony Davis is one of the most talented big men in the NBA but a cloud hangs over him regarding his durability given his past injuries. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had a moment on Inside The NBA analyzing Game 5 of the Lakers-Warriors playoff series after Davis suffered a head injury which prompted the legendary big men to crack up on air.

Anthony Davis, 30, is having an exceptional playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are up 3-2 against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday (May 10), the Lakers were on the losing end on the Warriors’ home court with the final score reading 121-106.

In the waning moments of the game, Davis was accidentally hit in the head by Warriors center Kevon Looney while both were going for a rebound. The hit was apparently hard enough that Davis needed to be wheeled out of the Chase Center.

At the conclusion of the game, Inside The NBA analysts were recapping the game, and in one segment not seen on camera, a sheet of paper could be heard being crumbled while Ernie “E.J.” Johnson Jr. broke down the footage of the Davis injury.

As the cameras cut back to Kenny “The Jet” Smith inside the TNT studio, O’Neal, and Barkley attempted to stifle their laughter and lost all of their cool after it was revealed that Davis left the floor in a wheelchair.

O’Neal and Barkley, both in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, can be tough on NBA big men given the impact of their careers. However, some on Twitter found the reaction to Anthony Davis hitting the deck a bit offensive while others joined in on the ribbing. NBA sideline reporter Chris Haynes and Lakers head coach both reported that Davis appeared to be on the mend.

We’ve got reactions from all sides below.

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Photo: Getty

08 Feb 2023

LeBron James Now NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, Surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #ScoringKing

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LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers sets the All time scoring record.

LeBron James and his still-ongoing career are the stuff of legend despite the heavy criticism he continues to endure from pundits and couch potatoes alike. The Ohio native and future Hall of Famer became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Tuesday night (Feb. 7), surpassing the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron James, 38, broke the all-time scoring record during a contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder lead by the explosive young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams. The Lakers hosted the Thunder and the game was largely competitive throughout with James leading all scorers with 38 points.

The moment occurred in the third quarter and while it wasn’t some fancy shot from the corner or a thunderous dunk, it was a sweet 14-foot fadeaway jumper that sealed the moment for King James.  In a classy move, Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most beloved Lakers players of all time, congratulated James mid-court with NBA commissioner Adam Silver flanking him.

James allowed himself to crack emotionally if just for a moment, breaking a record that many thought would never get eclipsed, and has existed for four decades, almost as old as James is. The chants of MVP from the crowd were justified as well, as James continues to play at a very high level at an age when most players are already long retired or on the way out of the league.

The Western Conference is highly competitive this season and while the Lakers are in 13th place, they’re just two games from contending for the play-in game and a late-season run could be possible. That said, there are a lot of games left in the 2022-23 season so it’s anyone’s ballgame.

For now, let’s congratulate the Scoring King, LeBron James, on this historic moment. Keep scrolling to see reactions from some of James’ peers and others on social media.

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Photo: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty

07 Feb 2023

LeBron “Definitely Disappointed” Kyrie Irving Not A Laker

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Cavaliers vs Lakers

Source: MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images / Getty

In an interview, NBA superstar LeBron James expressed his disappointment over the Los Angeles Lakers not being able to trade for Kyrie Irving.

For LeBron James, the chance to team up once again with his former teammate Kyrie Irving on the Los Angeles Lakers has been a desire since the offseason. It seemed more possible as the team made an offer when Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets last Friday (Feb. 3rd), but the Nets ultimately traded him to the Dallas Mavericks with the deal becoming official on Monday (Feb. 6th). James would soon write on Twitter cryptically, “Maybe it’s me” as word of the deal went public.

Sitting down for an interview with reporter Michael Wilbon for the NBA on ESPN, James was candid. “I can’t sit here and say I’m not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent,” James said. “Someone I had great chemistry with, I know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships in my mind, in my eyes. But my focus has shifted now, my focus has shifted back to where it should be and that’s this club now, and what we have now.”

Wilbon responded with surprise, “That’s a quick pivot LeBron.” The four-time league MVP agreed, saying “I don’t get too excited about the possibilities of things that can be. I kind of envision myself on what it can, but I don’t invest it all the way into it until I know it’s happening and when it does not happen, I’m back locked in on the job at hand. James and Irving were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2017, reaching the Finals in all three years and winning the franchise’s only title over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

James is on the verge of breaking the all-time scoring record, held by former Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The current Lakers team, however, has been the source of constant discussion as they sit at 13th in the Western Conference despite another tremendous All-Star season from the 38-year-old forward. James has reportedly been pushing the team’s front office to make moves to improve the roster to make the playoffs as center Anthony Davis has struggled with injuries and Russell Westbrook has been shifted to a role off the bench.

13 Jan 2023

Lakers Blast Alleged No-Call After Loss Against Mavericks

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Dallas Mavericks v Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers fans saw their team scrap their way back in a Thursday night game (Jan. 12) against the Dallas Mavericks and force the contest to go into overtime. The Lakers, most especially team captain LeBron James, believe that the referees missed a foul call against one of its team members that could’ve won the game.

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to 19-23 in the contest against the 24-19 Dallas Mavericks but showed exceptional grit despite a poor shooting night for James. The squad was without talented big man Anthony Davis but backup center Thomas Bryant, a former Washington Wizards player, has proven to be a useful asset. Russell Westbrook has also found a bit of a rhythm and before Davis went down with an injury, the Lakers looked to be surging.

Of concern was a three-point shot taken by former Wizards player Troy Brown Jr. at the end of regulation that would’ve won the game. On the closeout, Tim Hardaway Jr. seemingly bothered the shot but Brown didn’t openly criticize the referees and opted instead to state that the call was not in his hands. However, James offered a counter blanketed with plenty of profanity.

“No, it’s a f*cking foul,” James said, as reported by ESPN. “It’s a foul. No matter what he [Brown] says, it’s a f*cking foul. That sh*t is blatant, and they should have called it.”

Laker coach Darvin Ham also took the high road during his time at the podium, falling short of critiquing the referees and their call.

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Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty