LeBron James wasn’t exactly at his dazzling best in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 127-125 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, but earned a whole lot of praise for his hustle on one play. James spectacularly dove to the floor as he chased a rebound in the final minute of regulation and appeared to hurt himself a bit in the process.
James would still stay in the game and finish it, but it turns out that dive did leave him with quite a gash on what appears to be his leg. The 41-year-old showed off the wound on Instagram and stated he might not be diving again in 2026.
“Might be it for diving for the year! Ouch!! LOL!”
James might think twice the next time he finds himself in that situation. In case you missed it, here is that hustle play.
LEBRON DIVING ON THE FLOOR AT AGE 41 😳
HUSTLE BY THE KING 👑 pic.twitter.com/wZ9PCoNzZ8
— ESPN (@espn) March 15, 2026
That shows James’ commitment to the cause. The 22-time All-Star was willing to do whatever it took to help the Lakers get the win. James was asked about the hustle play in his postgame media session and had a pretty straightforward explanation for why he did it.
“Just living in the moment,” James said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “Understanding the impact of the game, the implications on the game and our opponent, and what we’re trying to build. So, every possession matters.”
While James wasn’t hyping himself up too much, Lakers head coach JJ Redick sang his praises in his postgame press conference.
“I told him after the game,” Redick stated, via Spectrum SportsNet. “I said, ‘In 23 years of watching you play in the NBA and the three years I watched you play in high school, I never saw you make a full-out extension dive like that.’ And he said, ‘You’re right, I’ve never done that.’ It’s awesome. I know he’ll feel that tomorrow. But that’s a winning play.”
James finished with 17 points (7-13 FG), six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He looks to have taken a backseat to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and has claimed he’s willing to sacrifice.
James wants to win, and the Lakers are doing a whole lot of winning right now. That win over the Nuggets was their fifth in a row, and they then took down the Houston Rockets 100-92 on Monday to extend the streak to six.
The Lakers are now 43-25 on the season, and they’ll take on the Rockets again at Toyota Center on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
