The Los Angeles Lakers lost a close game fight to the Phoenix Suns 104-109 where LeBron James had a rough night from tip-off, struggling to score or be an efficient on-ball player.
This was highlighted through one play where James uncharacteristically picked up a shot clock violation for not getting a shot off in time. Lakers head coach JJ Redick was pissed, being caught on camera telling LeBron to ‘shoot the f***ing ball.’
JJ Redick yelling at LeBron: “SHOOT THE F*CKING BALL” 😭 pic.twitter.com/T8oRd5m79d
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) October 29, 2024
Seeing a coach who feels as comfortable yelling at LeBron as JJ does is refreshing. Given the circumstances of Redick’s hiring shortly after starting a podcast with LeBron, many assumed that Redick was a coaching hire designed to appease the then-free agent LeBron despite James saying he had no input over the hiring.
The last time we saw LeBron be coached by someone who wasn’t afraid to call him out for making mistakes was Tyronn Lue, someone who’s now regarded as one of the top coaches in the NBA. Redick’s familiarity with LeBron likely means he has a lot more room to challenge James to be better, something the 39-year-old should embrace.
The game against the Suns was arguably the worst of LeBron’s Lakers tenure if not his career. He looked like he was carrying every bit of the 22 years of miles on his legs, lacking the burst to create opportunities for himself or even finish at the rim with consistency.
When Redick yelled at James, the game was in its early stages, and neither the player nor the coach could have foreseen the performance that was to follow. James’ 18-year streak of scoring 10+ points in an NBA game was nearly broken in the loss as well.
Suns star duo, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker propelled them to this win. Booker delivered an impressive 33 points (11-23 FG) in his first standout game of the season, while Durant maintained his strong start with 30 points (11-20 FG) and eight rebounds. Bradley Beal contributed a solid 15 points (6-14 FG), and Royce O’Neale added 12 points (4-9 FG) along with nine rebounds, showcasing his two-way impact.
For the Lakers, Anthony Davis was the standout performer, scoring 29 points (12-26 FG) and grabbing 16 rebounds with three blocks, including 16 points in the first quarter. LeBron James had a notably poor outing, finishing with just 11 points (3-14 FG) and eight assists.
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