The recent Lakers-Hornets matchup did not speak well for the LA franchise’s prowess. Given that it holds the 5 seed on the Western Conference chart, and the Hornets have the 4 worst record out of all other NBA teams this season, the recent game should not have been so close. The Hornets kept the rivals on their toes, taking an early lead in the game’s beginning, and staying neck-to-neck even in the 4 quarter. Furthermore, it didn’t help that Austin Reaves was ejected quite early on, while Luka Doncic took his sweet time to efficiently score. Fortunately, amidst the gloom at the Crypto.com Arena, LeBron James managed to liven up the crowd with his prowess.

As 6:55 minutes remained in the 4 quarter, the Hornets were leading by 80-78. The Lakers squad was positioned outside its scoring rim, while LeBron James himself was moving slowly while outside the paint. However, just as he received the ball, the 40-year-old dashed, went through 3 players, leaped, and made a dunk so impressive that the crowd was brought to its feet. Even the commentators could not contain their excitement, shouting “LEBRON. LEBRON”. However, the best reaction was from the 40-year-old’s rookie teammate, and son, Bronny. As LeBron walked by saying something inaudibly to the referee, Bronny could be seen holding his head in shock. It’s nice to know that even after 2 decades, LeBron can still continue to surprise his children and his fans.

Things could not have fallen apart for the Lakers at a worse time. The squad had just returned from the All-Star Break. It carried expectations that the rejuvenated break would allow them to perform well. Furthermore, after 2 games, Luka Doncic was expected to have settled in. In all fairness, the Slovenian performed well recently, scoring 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists during the recent game. However, he had a slow start, giving the Hornets an advantageous edge.

Meanwhile, the Lakers received another major blow after Austin Reaves argued with referee Rodney Mott over a no-call foul. Reaves received the first ejection of his NBA career after the argument, as he had accumulated 2 technical fouls. Reaves tossed his headband into the stands on his way off the court, as boos from the crowd followed the ejection call. Therefore, if LeBron spoke to the referee after the dunk, we can assume it was to speak out against the ejection.

Unfortunately, LeBron’s sole prowess wasn’t enough to help the Lakers. After securing a victory in the last 4 matchups against them, LeBron James and Co. lost to the Hornets by a 97-100 score. The NBA All-Time Scorer had the chance to turn the tide during the final seconds but missed both 3-point consecutive attempts. All in all, there were quite a few lapses that could have been avoided. LeBron was willing to address at least one of them.

LeBron James defended Austin Reaves over ejection call

In the aftermath of the matchup, LeBron James took some questions in the locker room. The 40-year-old admitted that Austin Reaves’ ejection “deflated” the squad. After all, when the other team scorer (Luka) takes time to score, one would immediately turn to Reaves, who has averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists this season. As team leader, it is LeBron’s responsibility to keep his players in check if they take things too far. However, according to him, Reaves wasn’t in that much wrong to warrant an ejection.

“You know, he had every right to argue the missed call, but what he said after that, I don’t think it warranted being kicked out,” said LeBron. When asked what he got to learn about the incident, the 40-year-old replied: “He said the F-bomb too many times. But he said it in the beginning, and he left it alone. He said it’s pretty obvious. So, I think Rodney thought he said it again, but he didn’t”.

Losing against a team like the Charlotte Hornets was a disappointment. However, the Lakers are in a good position and can easily recover. One hopes that Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves walk away from this game carrying some important lessons.