Dave McMenaminESPN Staff Writer November 7, 2023, 1:58 PM ET4 minutes read
LeBron drops the hammer on the Heat
Lakers star LeBron James does a vintage jam on the fast break against the Heat.
The Los Angeles Lakers contacted the NBA league office on Tuesday about what they believed were numerous missed fouls in Monday’s 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat, sources told ESPN.
According to sources, the Lakers’ main point of contention is the way LeBron James was officiated. The Lakers have shared various clips that they say show clearly illegal contact by Heat defenders on James that went unnoticed by referees.
James attempted four free throws against Miami, lowering his season average to 5.7 attempts per game, which, if maintained, would be the single-season low of his career. According to Second Spectrum data, the four-time league MVP has fouled out on just 6% of his drives this season. This is the eighth-lowest rate among the 34 players who have recorded 70 or more drives so far in the 2023-24 season.
James brought up his free throw total after Monday’s game, unhappy with the way the refereeing team explained the non-calls.
One of the missed calls James was referring to – Heat center Thomas Bryant made contact with his face while missing a dunk attempt 1:01 into the third quarter – was one of the clips the Lakers shared with the NBA, sources said.
“What they’re telling me doesn’t match what’s actually happening on the ground,” James said. “When I attempted the dunk against Thomas Bryant, he clearly hit my face with his elbow – his arm outstretched, so to speak. And I asked him for an explanation – well, one of the referees said he was standing upright with his hands straight in. “The air. Two of the referees said they were blocked and didn’t see it.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham received his first technical foul of the season – and just the third of his career – with 39 seconds left in the third quarter for arguing with James for not receiving.
“I see Bron shoot four free throws,” Ham said after the game, “and how many times he attacked the rim, how many times he got hit in the arm, which was clear to me that that wasn’t the case.” get called, man… he ain’t flopping. I watch him go strong to the hole.
LeBron James has fouled out on just 6% of his drives this season, the eighth-lowest rate among the 34 players to record 70 or more drives in the NBA this season. Megan Briggs/Getty Images
The Lakers also identified a sequence midway through the second quarter when it appeared Heat guard Duncan Robinson was pushing James in the back while the 19-time All-Star pushed the ball in transition and no decision was made, sources said.
“I mean, I don’t know what to do [say]said an exasperated James after Los Angeles’ loss dropped to 3-4 on the season. “I approach them respectfully and tell them what’s going on in the games and I regularly go to the line three or four times a game.” Sometimes not at all, which is strange.
“So I just have to keep driving, keep putting pressure on the rim and see if it turns. But we certainly had some tough halftime calls tonight and that didn’t work in our favor tonight.”