The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night in a game that they should have won. With the scores tied in the final seconds of regulation, LeBron James made a strong move to the rim, only to be fouled by Jayson Tatum before he could finish the play. To the disbelief of the Lakers, and indeed most fans and analysts watching, the referees didn’t call a foul, and James’ team lost in overtime.
LeBron, displeased.https://t.co/OMyiix5S8h pic.twitter.com/38NBoWbcHM
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 29, 2023
LeBron James was shellshocked by the non-call, his reaction on the floor made that quite evident. And he wasn’t the only one up in arms, Patrick Beverley earned perhaps the most amazing technical in NBA history when he tried to show the referee the foul on a camera. Needless to say, the call gets more and more egregious with every viewing, James got hacked on the arm.
LeBron James Spoke About Referees Not Calling Fouls On Him, Saying That He Can’t Understand It
LeBron James is arguably the best player in the league when it comes to driving the ball. When the King gets going in the lane, it is nearly impossible to stop without fouling. But for all that, James has not been getting much love from the referees this season. This isn’t the first time he’s spoken about it, he has already expressed his frustrations with how the Los Angeles Lakers are officiated. He called out the refs once again, openly saying he doesn’t understand why he’s not getting foul calls.
LeBron James on the final possession: “You saw my reaction. … It’s challenging. I don’t get it.” pic.twitter.com/sz2hODTDQi
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 29, 2023
“It’s challenging, really challenging. I don’t get it. I’m attacking the paint just as much as any of the other guys in this league shooting double-digit free throws a night. I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.”
NBA players always feel like they’re getting fouled more than the referees realize, but LeBron James has a point this season. The King, despite averaging nearly 30 points per game this season, is 20th on the list of free-throw attempts per game in the NBA. He attempts 6.2 per game which is less than half of what the league-leader Giannis Antetokounmpo does.
It might be a step too far to suggest that there is an agenda against LeBron James or the Lakers, they are arguably the most popular player and franchise in the NBA. But there’s no doubt that the officiating has been inconsistent this season and that James is not getting the respect he deserves from the referees. After this latest debacle, the pressure is certainly on for the problem to be fixed.
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