LeBron: Heckler shouldn't have been ejected from Lakers-Hawks game
Warning: Video contains coarse language
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James found himself jawing with a couple of fans seated courtside during Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The referees stopped the game after LeBron was heckled by a spectator in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/apoDqvt4ll
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 2, 2021
One of the hecklers later said on social media that she was ejected from the game due to the incident. She added that it started as trash talk between James and her husband.
James said postgame he disagreed with the fan getting kicked out.
"At the end of the day, I'm happy fans are back in the building. I miss that interaction. I need that interaction. We as players need that interaction," he told reporters.
"I don't feel like it was warranted (for the fan to be) kicked out. There was a back-and-forth between two grown men ... and we said our piece. He said his piece, I said my piece. And then when someone else jumped into it and said their piece. But I didn't think they should have been kicked out."
Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 2, 2021
James added that he wasn't concerned about the woman removing her mask during the animated conversation.
"I wasn't close enough to her. I don't think any of my teammates was close enough to them," he said. "Maybe a couple of the refs ... so I hope they're OK."
James heard words from another individual seated courtside - a Cleveland Cavaliers employee he knows - in a game last week. He later credited the taunting for motivating him to a 21-point fourth-quarter outburst.
The Lakers won Monday's game in Atlanta 107-99.