VIDEO: Jazz's Booker takes swing at Lakers' Hibbert, gets ejected
The Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers are taking the preseason very seriously.
Jazz power forward Trevor Booker was ejected Tuesday in Hawaii after taking a swing at Lakers big man Roy Hibbert, an intense moment for what was largely a meaningless exhibition.
The skirmish occurred in the third quarter after Booker pushed sophomore Julius Randle. While Randle backed away, Hibbert wasn't having it and stood up to Booker, bumping him hard chest-to-chest and inciting Booker's attempt at an open-hand haymaker.
Randle received a foul on the play, and Hibbert a technical foul, while Booker got two technical fouls and an ejection.
While this kind of outburst may seem silly for the preseason, it likely ingratiated Hibbert to his new teammates. The Lakers have at times in recent years lacked an enforcer, or at least the instinct for players to stand up for one another. With Hibbert and Metta World Peace now in uniform, the tone is pretty clearly being set that things have changed for the forum blue and gold.
Roy Hibbert on smiling when Booker tried to punch him: "I ain't worried about him. I'm not going to speak on that."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) October 7, 2015
Hibbert also looked solid during actual action, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 32 minutes.