LeBron would have retaliated to McRoberts' elbow but it 'ain't the 80s'
The NBA is experiencing a renaissance, and every team has seemingly adopted a gritty early-90s grudge against their opposing teams.
The beef between the Heat and Bobcats was fatted on Wednesday night, when Bobcats power forward Josh McRoberts caught LeBron James with an intentional elbow to the neck (video below). No flagrant foul was called on the play, but the NBA retroactively pinned a flagrant-2 foul on McRoberts, along with a $20,000 fine.
On Friday, after the punishment for McRoberts was handed down, both Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, and forward LeBron James shared their thoughts on the matter.
LeBron:
LeBron: "I don't cry for fouls. I don't really care, because I'm going to continue to attack."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 25, 2014
LeBron on why he doesn't come up swinging: "I mean too much to our team."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 25, 2014
More LeBron: "I already know it's going to be a headline tomorrow: 'LeBron is crying for fouls.' That's not me. I don't want that."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 25, 2014
LeBron says if this was the 80s, he would come back swinging. "But this ain't the 80s."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) April 25, 2014
Spoelstra also chimed in, and rather ominously foretold future "attacks"
Spo on McRobertsgate: "There's not going to be a retaliation. But there (are) going to be more attacks."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) April 25, 2014
For what it's worth, the last time the Heat took justice into their own hands, and power forward Udonis Haslem played the role of Undertaker, as he practically choke-slammed then Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough to the afterlife (ground). For his part, Haslem said the play "looked intentional."
Stay tuned. Game 3 will take place on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.