A fan reportedly was kicked out of Crypto.com Arena on Monday night after approaching and touching LeBron James while he sat on the bench during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James responded by shoving the fan away with his arm, as shown in a video posted by X user @Fernadad1.
The fan approached James while he sat toward the end of the bench and put on a long-sleeve shirt.
The individual came from James’ right side, touched him on his shoulder and seemingly said something.
James then pushed the fan away by hitting his chest, and the arena security stepped in.
The video featured this commentary: “Oh my God, they just kicked him out. Oh my God.”
Another video, this one from the ClutchPoints X account, showed James staring in the direction the fan exited, looking upset, before retreating to the bench.
The scene did not escalate any further, and this is not the first time James has dealt with a similar incident with a fan.
The fan touches LeBron James.@Fernadad1/X
LeBron pushes the fan away.@Fernadad1/X
A fan ran onto the court in Cleveland in 2013 during a Heat-Cavaliers game, and fans were ejected twice during the 2021 season for how they interacted with James.
Despite the scary moment, James did not let it stop him from leading the Lakers to a much-needed home victory.
The four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP scored 25 points and tallied seven rebounds and six assists to help Los Angeles improve to 20-21.
James is averaging 24.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, but the Lakers have been one of the bigger disappointments in the league.
They currently are tied with the Rockets for the 10th-best record in the Western Conference, although they are ahead on percentage points.
James looks in the direction of the fan.
Los Angeles had championship aspirations following last year’s run to the Western Conference Finals, where it suffered a sweep by the Nuggets.
The Lakers return to the court Wednesday to host the Mavericks.