James started to rage about the calls even before talking to the media
LEBRON James stormed out of the postgame press conference after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heartbreaking Game 2 loss in the first-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
The furious 20-time NBA All-Star left the media room after going on a rant about officiating in the league on Monday night.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James went on a rant about NBA officials after Monday’s Game 2 loss to the Denver NuggetsCredit: ESPN/NBA
James then stormed out of the press conferenceCredit: ESPN/NBA
The 20-time All-Star finished the game with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assistsCredit: Getty
Los Angeles lost 101-99 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, to fall 2-0 down in the series — despite leading by as many as 20 points in the second half.
Jamal Murray snatched the win from the Lakers’ hands with a fadeaway jumper over Anthony Davis that went in just as the buzzer rang for the final time.
The visitors got outscored 32-20 in the fourth with James, 39, responsible for 12 of their points in the final period.
But after the game, the four-time NBA champion vented about some of the calls made during the night rather than his team’s faltering offense in the clutch or the blown 20-point lead.
He specifically pointed out a late third-quarter play during which D’Angelo Russell appeared to be hit in the face by Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. on a driving layup.
The referees initially called a foul on Porter before overturning the decision and stating the contact made was marginal when Denver head coach Michael Malone challenged the ruling.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in the replay center, to be honest,” James told reporters.
“D’Lo clearly gets hit in the face on the drive.
“What the f**k do we have a replay center… it doesn’t make sense. It makes no sense. It bothers me.”
James also brought up the chaotic end to the New York Knicks’ Game 2 win over the Philadelphia 76ers earlier on Monday.
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The Knicks overcame a five-point deficit in the last 46 seconds of the clash in big part due to Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey’s turnover, which happened despite Philly’s attempts to call a timeout during the play.
“And then I just saw what happened with the Sixers-Knicks game, too,” James, who logged 26 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists against the Nuggets, continued.
“What are we doing?”
James then shook his head, put the mic down on the table, and got up from his chair before leaving the media room.
What the f**k do we have a replay center… it doesn’t make sense. It makes no sense. It bothers me
LeBron James
The Ohio native showed frustration with the officiating crew even before leaving the floor.
Video footage appeared to show the 6-foot-9 forward yelling at the ref after Murray’s game-winning bucket about a no-call on his layup a few possessions earlier.
Nuggets podcaster Adam Mares reported that James then “followed the officials off of the court.”
Russell and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham joined the four-time MVP in complaining about the calls in the postgame.
“Some tough calls. Some tough non-calls. But you can’t use any of that as an excuse,” Ham said, per ClutchPoints reporter Michael Corvo.
“You’ve got to go out there and be ready to make plays whether the whistle gets blown or not.
“It’s getting real tricky — you go through the season, games being officiated one way, and then you get to the playoffs, and I guess it’s left up to the interpretation of the three individual guys that’s doing the job out there.”
