Over 30 Years Before LeBron James? Fiasco with Refs, ?Abusive Behavior? Towards Michael Jordan Left No Choice For Bulls Coach: ?I?ve Got One Time-Out Left?

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost another close game. It was a 125-122 overtime loss against the Boston Celtics this time. While any overtime loss against a rival is disappointing, this was very frustrating for the Lakers because of a poor call at the end of regulation. With the scores tied at 105 and 4 seconds remaining, James drove to the basket and was fouled by Jayson Tatum. But the call was not made. Had the foul call been made, James could’ve sealed the win with two free throws.

The four-time champion was furious at the no-call and needed a moment to compose himself as the game headed to overtime. Similarly, NBA legend Michael Jordan has had his fair share of issues with no-foul calls as well.

Phil Jackson did not like the way Michael Jordan was treated

Author Sam Smith wrote The Jordan Rules book which has some interesting details about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls team. The book chronicles multiple seasons of Jordan and the team both on and off the court. In one instance, the author talked about legendary head coach Phil Jackson’s resentment towards a lead referee. During a particular game, Jackson was furious MJ was sent to the free-throw line just twice. With less than a minute left and trailing by 13 points, the 11-time champion wanted to annoy the official and took all his timeouts.

Smith wrote, “Jackson resented Garretson’s sometimes abusive behavior toward Jordan on the court, and he told his assistants, ‘I’m going to make him stay out as long as I can.'”

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The author recounted, a former coach turned commentator joked about the coach’s actions. He noted, “At the broadcasting table, Kerr, a former NBA coach, joked about the coach who was about to die and uttered his last words: ‘Hey, I’ve got one time out left.'”

The author added the referee “resented” superstars like Jordan. He noted Jackson admired the referee for officiating a professional game but did not like the way he treated MJ.

LeBron James was not happy

LeBron James had another 40-point game after turning 38 recently. He had a game-high 41 points and was close to a triple-double with 9 rebounds and 8 assists. He was also very efficient scoring 50% from the field and from behind the arc.

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However, no other Lakers scored more than 16 points against the Boston Celtics. Patrick Beverley had some clutch plays toward the end of regulation. But it was in vain. In overtime, the Celtics were in complete control and clinched the victory. After the game, James and Anthony Davis shared their frustration with the controversial no-call.