LeBron James Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Los Angeles Notes: James, Westbrook, Anthony, Morris

November 25th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James missed the Lakers’ game against the Knicks on Tuesday and felt his one-game suspension was unwarranted, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes. James struck the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart in the face on Sunday and was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul. The league suspended James on Monday and handed Stewart a two-game ban for repeated “unsportsmanlike acts.” They were battling for position on a free throw attempt.

“When I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away,” James said. “So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental.”

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double against the Knicks and a near triple-double against the Pistons. Anthony Davis wants to see Westbrook play with an aggressive style, McMenamin relays in a separate story. “I tell him before every game: ‘Be nobody but yourself. That’s why we brought you here,'” Davis said. “I think a lot of times, he tries to go passive and to start passing the basketball, looking for other guys, which is great, but kind of takes him out of a rhythm. And he can do the same for guys while being aggressive.”
Carmelo Anthony is averaging 15 PPG in his new role as the Lakers’ top reserve. Anthony, who is playing for the veteran’s minimum, has proven he can be effective off the bench after being the No. 1 scoring option most of his career, as McMenamin notes at ESPN.com. “I’m still here doing it,” Anthony said. “I think that’s what I’m honestly excited about. I’m here in Year 19 still doing what I’m able to do. Still passionate about the game. Still passionate about coming to work every day and getting better.”
Marcus Morris felt good after playing 31 minutes for the Clippers on Tuesday, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. Morris had missed a month due to knee soreness. “Take a month off, I think I looked good myself,” he said. “Shots will come, rhythm will come, I’m a veteran, just felt great to be out there.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Thompson, Fox, Walton, James

November 22nd, 2021 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green is playing with renewed vigor and the Warriors forward is aiming for another Defensive Player of the Year award, ESPN’s Nick Friedell writes. “Most importantly, I want to win, I want to be a Defensive Player of the Year again, and I want to be an All-Star again,” Green said. “And that is motivating me because a lot of people had counted me out. Same mistake people made before when I first came into the league — but a lot of people doubted me, and doubted me again. And that’s fuel to the fire.” Green won the DPOY award in 2017.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacted with feigned surprise regarding a report that Klay Thompson had received full medical clearance to practice. “I don’t know where that came from,” Kerr said, according to a tweet from Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. However, Kerr didn’t deny the report, Poole added in another tweet. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater said Kerr was trying to protect Thompson from media attention. If Thompson doesn’t participate in all team portions of practice, he could theoretically skip any required media requirements, which is Klay’s preference.
De’Aaron Fox said it was a bit of a shock that Luke Walton was fired at this stage of the season, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, he added that the Kings have to put that behind them quickly. “You’ve just got to keep on pushing,” Fox said. “Obviously, you have some guys who have been through it in the middle of a season before, but you can’t go into the game worried about what happened. We’ve still got games to play.”
LeBron James‘ one-game suspension will result in some cost savings for the Lakers, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. While James will lose a game check of $284K, the Lakers will receive a $142K credit toward the luxury tax that projects to save them $532.5K.

James Suspended One Game, Stewart Gets Two-Game Penalty

November 22nd, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers superstar LeBron James was suspended one game without pay and Pistons center Isaiah Stewart will serve a two-game suspension for their altercation on Sunday, the league announced in a press release.

James was suspended for recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation. Stewart was given a bigger penalty for escalating the incident by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing James in an unsportsmanlike manner.

Stewart had to be restrained numerous times by coaches and players from retaliating after James struck him in the face battling for position as Jerami Grant attempted a free throw. Pistons coach Dwane Casey stated afterward he didn’t feel Stewart deserved an additional penalty besides the in-game ejection.

James, who has never previously been suspended his career, will miss a marquee matchup against the Knicks on Tuesday. Stewart will serve his suspension Tuesday against the Heat and Wednesday against the Bucks.

Pistons’ Casey: Stewart Shouldn’t Face Further Punishment For Altercation

November 22nd, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star LeBron James and Pistons youngster Isaiah Stewart were ejected from Sunday’s game in the third quarter following an on-court altercation and could face further punishment from the NBA league office.

James struck Stewart in the face while the two players were battling for position on a Jerami Grant free throw, opening up a large cut near Stewart’s right eye. The Pistons’ center, with blood streaming down his face, tried to go after LeBron and had to be held back by several teammates and coaches (video link). James was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul and Stewart was tossed for “multiple unsportsmanlike acts,” as our Dana Gauruder writes for The Detroit Free Press.

While it seems likely that James and Stewart will face fines, if not suspensions, for their actions, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said after the game that he didn’t believe Stewart should receive any additional penalties.

“He shouldn’t be facing anything,” Casey said, per Gauruder. “Not getting off the court in time, the league will have to decide on that. The man got eight stitches, or whatever the number of stitches it is, across his forehead. … He was upset, blood running down his face. I don’t see ramifications from the league from that standpoint, except for him just (not) leaving the court, maybe. I thought that’s why he got ejected out of the game. To me, that’s enough punishment.”

The Lakers and Pistons are both off until Tuesday, but if the NBA is going to assess fines and/or suspensions, an announcement will likely come at some point on Monday.

Here’s more on the fracas in Detroit:

Anthony Davis said after the game that James didn’t elbow Stewart intentionally and that he wanted to apologize to the 20-year-old. “Everyone in the league knows LeBron’s not a dirty guy,” Davis said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “In fact, when he knew he hit him, as soon as he did it, he looked back at him like, ‘Oh, my bad. I didn’t try to do it.'”
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook also received a technical foul as part of the skirmish, since referee Scott Foster and his crew believed Westbrook was acting as “an escalator and not a peacemaker.” Westbrook didn’t realize he had been assessed a technical until after the game, writes McMenamin. “Why’d I get a tech? I didn’t know I had a tech. Wow. That’s interesting,” Westbrook said. “Well, you know, that’s just being Russell, I guess. When you’re Russell Westbrook, they just try to do anything, apparently. Well, whatever. … They had to put it on somebody. I’m the easiest person to throw s–t on. Why not me?”
While there may be an outside perception that Stewart, who also had a minor scuffle with Blake Griffin earlier this season, is a troublemaker, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic contends that couldn’t be further from the truth. Casey agrees with that assessment. “I told him, ‘Don’t let this define who you are. It doesn’t define your game whatsoever. Keep your head (up) and don’t get a reputation afterward,'” Casey said after the game. “I feel for the young man because he’s such a competitor and plays so hard. He’s a great kid. He felt like he got a cheap shot across his brow. On the street, it would be a different story. It’s no reflection on who Isaiah Stewart is whatsoever.”
The Lakers were down by 17 points following James’ ejection, but battled back without him in the fourth quarter for a victory. Bill Oram of The Athletic wonders if the comeback could be a turning point for a Lakers team that has been up and down so far this season.

Lakers Notes: James, Kanter, Davis, Nunn

November 21st, 2021 at 8:49pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar LeBron James offered his thoughts about the comments recently made by Celtics big man Enes Kanter, addressing the ongoing feud between the two after Saturday’s game.

Kanter recently called out James on social media, writing, “Money over Morals for the “King.” Sad and disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do “shut up & dribble” when Big Boss says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”

When asked about the post, James noted that he typically doesn’t bother engaging. But, as mentioned previously, this isn’t the first time the pair has had an issue, which includes a face-to-face altercation during a game back in 2017.

“I think if you know me, you know I don’t give too many people my energy,” James explained, as relayed by Analis Bailey of USA TODAY. “He’s definitely not someone I would give my energy to. He’s trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself. I definitely won’t comment too much on that.

“He’s always had a word or two to say in my direction, and as a man, if you’ve got an issue with somebody, you really come up to him. He had his opportunity tonight. I seen him in the hallway, and he walked right by me.”

There’s more out of Los Angeles:

It’s apparent the club can’t win without LeBron, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. In the seven games that James has played this season, the Lakers are 4-3. Without him, the team is 4-6.
The team has committed to Anthony Davis at center, but the defensive kinks must be worked out by committee, Goon writes for the Orange County Register. Starting Davis at center allows the Lakers to improve its offensive spacing, but it reduces the team’s size in the frontcourt. The club must now determine its starters alongside Russell Westbrook, James and Davis.
Backup point guard Kendrick Nunn (right knee bone bruise) isn’t expected to return anytime soon, Goon tweets. Nunn signed a free-agent deal to join the organization back in August. He averaged 14.6 points, 2.6 assists and 29.5 minutes in 56 games with the Heat last season.

LeBron James: Lakers Should Have Sense Of Urgency

November 20th, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar LeBron James believes the team should have a sense of urgency going into each game, something that certainly won’t change now that the team is below .500 with a 8-9 record, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes.

James returned from an abdominal strain on Friday against the Celtics, recording 23 points, six rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes. Los Angeles was dominated by Boston 130-108 — its third straight loss and sixth in the last 10 games.

“It’s never, ‘We got 65 games left,'” James said when asked if he can take the long view on the season, according to McMenamin. “We damn sure need to play better, no matter who is in the lineup. We have our system and we need to obviously fast-track it and get better with it so we can play, no matter who is out on the floor, we can play at a high level.

“There’s no level of panic, but there should be some sense of urgency any time we take the floor.”

The Lakers have been dealing with several injuries to start the season. Along with James, projected starting forward Trevor Ariza underwent ankle surgery back in October, while backup point guard Kendrick Nunn has been out with a bone bruise. James has only played in seven of 17 games to date.

Los Angeles currently owns the ninth-best record in the Western Conference, with upcoming road games scheduled against the Pistons on Sunday, Knicks on Tuesday and Pacers on Wednesday.

LeBron James Returns On Friday Night

November 19th, 2021 at 6:17pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 19: James will return to the Lakers’ starting lineup tonight, the team announced. The starters will be Russell Westbrook, Bradley, Horton-Tucker, LeBron, and Anthony Davis. The Lakers face the Celtics at 6:30 CT on ESPN.

NOVEMBER 16: Injuries have limited LeBron James to just six games so far this season, and he hasn’t suited up since November 2 due to an abdominal strain. However, it sounds like we could see the Lakers‘ star forward back on the court later this week.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), there’s “growing optimism” that James will make his return on Friday when the Lakers face the Celtics in Boston.

That contest vs. the C’s will be the second game of a five-game Eastern Conference road trip for the Lakers. That trip begins on Wednesday in Milwaukee and also includes games in Detroit (Sunday), New York (Nov. 23), and Indiana (Nov. 24). If the Lakers are easing James back into action, he likely wouldn’t play both games of that back-to-back set next week.

Still, getting LeBron back in any form would be good news for a Lakers team that has had an up-and-down season to date. After Monday’s loss to Chicago, L.A. has an 8-7 record, good for seventh in the Western Conference.

The Lakers’ starting five has been fluid as of late, but Carmelo Anthony is probably the likeliest candidate to move to the bench once James is ready to go. Talen Horton-Tucker and Avery Bradley are the other starters whose spots aren’t necessarily 100% locked in.

Injury Notes: Durant, LeBron, J. Brown, Lopez

November 19th, 2021 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kevin Durant has been ruled out of Friday’s game vs. Orlando due to a right shoulder sprain, the team announced this afternoon (Twitter link via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic).

Durant admitted earlier this week that he has been getting some treatment on that shoulder, but he had been able to play through the ailment up until this point. With a pair of off-days coming up after Friday’s game, the Nets will take this opportunity to get their leading scorer some rest over the weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised if Durant is back in action on Monday in Cleveland, though we’ll have to wait for further updates from the team.

Here are a few more injury-related items from around the NBA:

Lakers star LeBron James will be a game-time decision on Friday night in Boston, head coach Frank Vogel said today (Twitter link via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group). If James isn’t able to return from his abdominal strain tonight, he’ll likely target Sunday in Detroit for his first game back.
While the Lakers are still waiting to see if LeBron will be available for Friday’s game, the Celtics have already ruled out Jaylen Brown, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown has been on the shelf since November 4 due to a right hamstring strain.
Bucks center Brook Lopez has been sidelined for a full month due to a back issue, but he tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) that he’s been ramping up and believes he’s nearing a return. Lopez added that he has a “target in my mind” for his return, but didn’t specify a date. I imagine he’d love to suit up against his twin brother Robin Lopez and the Magic on Saturday and/or Monday, though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go that soon.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, Offseason Moves

November 18th, 2021 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers’ roster isn’t constructed to withstand prolonged absences from star forward LeBron James, Dylan Hernandez writes in a column for The Los Angeles Times. With James still sidelined on Wednesday, the Lakers lost in Milwaukee to drop to 8-8 on the season, including 4-6 in games without LeBron available.

When the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook in the offseason, it was viewed in part as an insurance policy after James and Anthony Davis missed time due to injuries in 2020/21. The thinking was that if one of the Lakers’ two returning stars went down for an extended period, the club would now have a third star in Westbrook to help carry the load. However, Westbrook has been inconsistent during his first month as a Laker, raising the stakes of LeBron’s return, writes Hernandez.

Fortunately for L.A., it sounds as if James should be back very soon. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that there’s “growing optimism” the 36-year-old will be able to play on Friday in Boston.

That’s not a lock, however. While James said on Wednesday that he hopes to return vs. the Celtics, head coach Frank Vogel is still referring to him as day-to-day and sources told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that there’s only a “50-50” chance he’ll be available on Friday.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Since returning from his thumb injury, Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker has started all three games and is making a strong case to remain in the starting five, writes Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Horton-Tucker had perhaps his best game yet on Wednesday, with 25 points and 12 rebounds. “Sometimes scoring off the bench is what you need,” Vogel said of Horton-Tucker. “But he’s playing as good as anybody from a standpoint of both sides of the ball. What he’s given to us on defense and what he’s given to us on offense. So he’s been terrific in his first few games back and he’ll have a big role. He’s definitely made a case (to continue starting).”
Third-year guard Kendrick Nunn, who has yet to debut for the Lakers after signing a two-year, $10MM deal in August, isn’t with the team on its current road trip, tweets Bill Oram of The Athletic. Nunn continues to do rehab work on the bone bruise in his right knee.
The Lakers’ slow start has made it easier to second-guess Rob Pelinka‘s summer roster moves, Oram says in a story for The Athletic. According to various reports, L.A. had a chance to trade for DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield and to re-sign Alex Caruso, but passed on those opportunities. Acquiring Westbrook closed the door on the DeRozan and Hield scenarios, but re-signing Caruso was simply a matter of how far into the tax the organization was willing to go.

Lakers Notes: Caruso, THT, LeBron, Bazemore, Jordan

November 15th, 2021 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

After Alex Caruso shared some details on his free agency during a recent appearance on J.J. Redick’s podcast, Bill Oram of The Athletic touched base with the Bulls guard to discuss the subject further, providing some additional specifics on Caruso’s options and what the Lakers were willing to offer him.

As Oram writes, the Bulls and Timberwolves were among the teams that topped the Lakers’ initial offer of $7MM per year. After he received a four-year, $37MM proposal from Chicago, Caruso went back to Los Angeles to see if the team would do $20MM for two years. However, the Lakers were unwilling to increase their offer from $21MM over three years, prompting the veteran guard to choose the Bulls.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

In his first game since signing a three-year, $30MM+ deal and undergoing thumb surgery, Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker was terrific on Sunday vs. San Antonio, scoring 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting in 27 minutes as a starter. While head coach Frank Vogel wouldn’t commit to Horton-Tucker remaining in the starting lineup, he said the 20-year-old will be a “big part” of what the Lakers do. “We invested in him this summer for a reason,” Vogel said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “We have a strong belief in that young man and what he can do on both sides of the ball. Obviously when we get whole, we got a lot of good choices, but he’s going to be a big part of it.”
Vogel said on Sunday that LeBron James (abdominal strain) has yet to participate in contact drills or a full practice yet, but a source tells McMenamin that the star forward is “progressing great” and should be back in the lineup soon.
Offseason additions Kent Bazemore and DeAndre Jordan appear to have fallen out of the Lakers’ rotation at least temporarily, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who notes that both players were DNP-CDs on Sunday. Jordan had started 10 games at center before sitting the last two, while Bazemore had started all 13 games for Los Angeles until he was benched on Sunday.
The changes to the starting five reflect the Lakers’ preference for smaller lineups for the time being, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register, who adds that Vogel left the door open for a return to bigger lineups as the season progresses. Anthony Davis started at center alongside power forward Carmelo Anthony on Sunday.