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“It’s a F*cking Foul”: LeBron James Loses His Cool as He Gets Behind the Fan Bandwagon Against NBA Referees

Published 01/13/2023, 11:18 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is not one to shy away from calling out the referees for their bad decisions after a game. When the Lakers took on the Dallas Mavericks recently, it gave the fans an exciting game that went overtime two times. However, a controversial move at the end of the play took most of the headlines. When Troy Brown Jr of the Lakers attempted a last-ditch effort to salvage a win, he was apparently fouled. At least that’s what the fans, along with LeBron James, think to be the case.

When Tim Hardaway Jr contested BrownJr.’s shot, the refs did not call it a foul. Moreover, they issued a clarification behind their decision-making. Joining in with thousands of Lakers fans across the world, James let his feelings be known during a post-game interview. Safe to say, he wasn’t happy.

Fans react as LeBron James calls out bad officiating in the game against the Mavs

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The encounter between the Mavs and the Lakers yesterday night was a true spectacle for sports fans. The Lake Show came back from a huge deficit to force overtime and subsequently, double overtime. Rest assured, the game was not devoid of its fair share of controversies.

In the dying moments of regulation time, Troy Brown Jr made a three-point attempt from James’ pass. With the scores tied at 101-101, the Mavs player challenged Brown which resulted in an airball for the Lakers. Many around the Crypto.com Arena called a foul on the challenge including the Lakers players, as they claimed that Hardaway Jr.’s hand had actually deflected Brown Jr.’s shot just before the release.

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USA Today via Reuters

Brown Jr was interviewed and asked to comment on the incident after the team’s loss. Although the Lakers star remained diplomatic in his choice of words and refused to answer the question explicitly, former NBA champion LeBron James was not backing down.

He could be heard saying, from behind the scenes, “No, it’s a f**king foul. It’s a foul. No matter what [Brown] says, it’s a f**king foul.” With James’ comments doing the rounds of the internet, here’s what the fans had to say.

While many agreed with LeBron, some fans felt otherwise. 

As the above tweets suggest, there are mixed reactions to LeBron’s accusations. The referees have cleared the air around the controversy in their report published after the game. According to the officials, although the Mavs player made ‘high five contact’, he didn’t disrupt the shot. As a result, it is a fair challenge.

Russell Westbrook inspires brilliant Lakers comeback coming off the bench

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Continuing his brilliant form this season, MVP candidate Luka Doncic played 55 minutes while scoring 35 points, 13 assists, and 14 rebounds. With players like Christian Wood also stepping up, the Mavericks had a healthy 16-point lead at one point in time.

However, that was short-lived as the Lakers bench inspired a comeback. The 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook had 28 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds coming off the bench. LeBron James played 47 minutes and recorded 24 points, 16 rebounds, and 9 assists as he moved closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Billionaire LeBron James’ Best Ever Investments over The Years

Do you think the referees were right in not calling the interception a foul? Let us know in the comments down below. 

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Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

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Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder