LeBron James says an argument between himself and fans during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 107-99 win over the Atlanta Hawks was “blown out of proportion” and they did not deserve to be ejected.
Two women heckled James after he had exchanged heated words with a man they were sat with and they were thrown out.
James said: “I’m happy fans are back. I need that interaction. I don’t feel like they deserved to be kicked out.”
“Tired is only in the mind. … #LakeShow we coming home.” @KingJames x #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/Jogf0ZopkM
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 2, 2021
Explaining what had gone on in the incident that caused the game to be paused in the fourth quarter, James added: “There was a back and forth between two grown men, he said his piece, I said my piece.
“And then someone else jumped in and said their piece. But I don’t think they should have been kicked out.
“They might have had a couple of drinks maybe. It’s fine. It kind of got blown out of proportion, fans in the stands, just feels better.”
One of the women had removed her face mask to shout at James, a move condemned by Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel.
King getting flashy with it! pic.twitter.com/YvFICwRaJ4
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 2, 2021
James scored 21 points, including the decisive final nine for his side, and added seven rebounds and nine assists in the win over the Hawks, with Anthony Davis top-scoring for the Lakers with 25.
It means the Lakers return to LA with a record of five wins and two defeats from their longest scheduled road trip of the NBA season, hot on the heels of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz at the top of the Western Conference.
