A Cleveland Cavaliers executive applauded a missed shot by LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers star took that personally.
LeBron James is no stranger to being on the road team to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Tuesday night was the first time he’s done so since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018. Even after bringing the franchise their first NBA championship in 2016, James faced a harsh crowd.
At the end of the third quarter, James attempted a fadeaway shot that bounced off the rim. That was when Cavaliers’ basketball chief of staff Jason Hillman decided to stand up and clap directly towards him. Just like Michael Jordan said in the hit docu-series “The Last Dance,” LeBron took that personally, gave Hillman a glare and scored 21 consecutive points in the fourth quarter!
The exec learned not to anger LeBron
Hillman was obviously ecstatic that James missed, because it gave the Cavaliers a 89-77 lead entering the fourth quarter. But, he awakened a sleeping giant in the process, as he scored 21 of Los Angeles’ 28 fourth quarter points. In fact, LeBron’s point total was more than all of what the Cavaliers scored in the fourth (19)!
James was asked about the interaction during the postgame press conference saying Hillman (without referencing him by name) got “a little bit too excited” after watching him miss, and said he still had the fourth quarter which was “his favorite.”
James tallied 46 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks while shooting 19-for-26 from the field and 7-for-11 from the three-point line.
So if you ever get the chance to sit courtside for a Lakers game and taunt LeBron for missing a shot, he will go out of his way to make you eat your own words.