Following a tough 101-99 defeat in Game 2 of their opening playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James joined other Los Angeles Lakers players in criticizing the officials during his postgame remarks.
This isn’t LeBron’s first frustration with the league’s replay system this season. He’s been vocal before, like when a call went against him in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and another against the Golden State Warriors. This time, the King did not hold back and directly expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating and replay process.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest. What f— do we have a replay center for? It makes no sense to me… What are we doing?”, LeBron was clear and direct.
James particularly objected to a foul call on Michael Porter Jr. against D’Angelo Russell late in the third quarter, which was reversed after a challenge by Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
“D-Lo clearly gets hit in the face on a drive,” James said. “What the f— do we have a replay center for if it’s going to go [like that]?”, LeBron was candid. He completely focused on winning and is disturbed by major decisions going against his team. Even after their Game 1 loss, LeBron issued a stern warning to his teammates and encouraged them to step up in the big moments. Evidently, LeBron does not want to fall to the Nuggets this time in the postseason.
Meanwhile, LeBron’s blatant take has been in the limelight since the game, and it did not particularly sit well with NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins.
Kendrick Perkins slams LeBron James and holds him accountable
While the referees’ decisions caused some concern, they were not the only factor behind the Lakers’ defeat. Kendrick Perkins highlighted this after LeBron James expressed his frustration with the officials.
Perkins urged accountability from King James and the team for losing a 20-point advantage, as he wrote on X:
“Bron’s frustration with the refs is understandable, but let’s face it… the Lakers let a 20-point lead slip away. This is a clear example of why you can’t rely solely on officiating.”
Meanwhile, the Lakers need to bounce back real quick come next game if they want to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
In the comment section below, let us know what you think of LeBron James’ comments, and do you think they can win the series against the Nuggets?
