The NBA’s history has many iconic moments, but only a few spilled blood on the floor. In 2021, LeBron James seemed to accidentally strike a Detroit Pistons player in the face and found himself in one of the NBA’s more stunning altercations.

The moment was heated. Isaiah Stewart was in his second year with the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James, on the other hand, was already a legend. So when the icon’s elbow caught Stewart in the face, he didn’t hesitate. He wanted a fight, and he wanted it right away.

“I know it was personal,” Stewart said on the Out The Mud podcast. “You know, you wind up, you hit me. He got a good hit. And, you know, I’m bleeding, and so, you know, I definitely think it was personal.”

“I mean, I seen the interview of him saying it wasn’t. So, hell yeah. He gave me a hit and then, you know, I’m like, ‘Hold up, hold up.’ And I got up, and then when I seen blood, that’s when I just blacked, man. You know, I black, and I wanted to draw blood back.”

Stewart explained that as a newer player in the league, there was a lot on his mind, from how to act to what to do next. But once he felt his blood drip down his forehead, morality became a bright red blur.

The whole situation unfolded in the third quarter. The Pistons scored a free throw, and Stewart guarded James. As the ex-Laker spun around, his elbow hit Stewart, who went down in pain.

Fast forward a few minutes and nearly every staffer in the arena stood between Stewart, who desperately tried to hit LeBron James in the face. Team members from the Lakers and Pistons held the two apart, just to make sure things didn’t get worse.

Stewart acted as if he were possessed by the desire to fight with James. He pushed and ran past every official trying to get to James. However, he was ultimately held back, and both players were ejected from the game. This still wasn’t enough to stop Stewart.

“So, obviously I’m chasing them, trying to get to him, you know, around the court. And then, you know, I knew I wasn’t getting to him. So, I said f**k it, I went to the back, ran to the back, they closed the doors. They say, ‘Yo, you got to clean these stitches up.’ I cleaned the stitches up.” He further explained.

Stewart’s injury was significant. He got anywhere between five and eight stitches near his right eye and was later suspended for two games, while LeBron James got a one-game suspension.

Stewart only finally calmed down after GM Troy Weaver asked him to be the “person we drafted,” and that poured cold water over the raging fire.

However, the incident essentially set Stewart up for the reputation he has today. In 2024, he was arrested following an altercation with Drew Eubanks, and later, in February 2026, he was part of a major on-court brawl with Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate.

For Stewart, the 2021 incident was more than just a heated moment against one of the NBA’s biggest stars. It became an early glimpse into the intensity and aggression that have followed him throughout his career.

Whether it was his confrontation with Eubanks or the 2026 altercation involving Bridges and Diabate, Stewart has repeatedly found himself at the center of physical confrontations. And while he may have left the court that night without getting to LeBron, the anger that made that moment unforgettable has remained a recurring part of his NBA story.