LeBron James is never out of the action. Whether it be talking about himself, defending his teammates, or bashing the NBA for controversial decisions, James has always spoken up and shared his thoughts with the NBA universe.
After the intense last-second game against the Philadelphia 76ers- the Lakers went on to lose the game by the barest of margins, just one point- LeBron James tweeted regarding Russell Westbrook and the Philadelphia center Joel Embiid.
With only 3.2 seconds remaining and the Lakers one point behind, Westbrook chose to face Embiid one-on-one instead of passing to James. He drove right up to the basket and lofted the ball, but it struck the rim and was recovered by Philadelphia just before the buzzer rang. However, the main issue was Westbrook claimed that Joel grabbed his hand, which did not allow him to shoot.
How did LeBron James react?
The Lakers expected a foul, but nothing was called against Embiid. LeBron James, frustrated with the incident, later tweeted,
This must be MUCH BIGGER STORY than it is.
What NBA is basically doing, is 2 days in a row, altering their own definition of the rules, their own guidelines to tell the fans to “believe them” instead of our own eyes on Game Deciding Plays!
How is this not a Huge Scandal?
— Letting Go (@ProvideContext) January 16, 2023
After the game, Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook spoke to the reporters stating the incident from their perspectives.
What did Joel Embiid and Russell Westbrook say in their interviews?
Russell Westbrook, in his interview, hinted that it was a clear foul, while Joel Embiid denied it completely. Russell, while talking to reporters, said,
“couldn’t get my hand up to shoot because (Embiid) was grabbing it.”
https://youtu.be/O3W65t2NZs4
On the other hand, denying that his action was a foul, Embiid stated,
“I don’t think I fouled him. Physical play on both sides. You could have called a foul on the other end, too, on the bump. So, it goes both ways.” He further added that Westbrook was just “unlucky,” and the game could have gone either way.
Was it a foul or not? Share your opinion in the comment section, and stay tuned for more action!
