NBA fans slammed LeBron James after he stormed off the court after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 127-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The four-time NBA champion headed to the locker room without shaking anyone’s hands after Thursday’s blowout loss.
LeBron James stormed off the court after the Los Angeles Lakers’ blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on ThursdayCredit: TNT/NBA
NBA fans criticized the Lakers star for leaving the game without shaking hands with Suns starsCredit: TNT/NBA
James scored 10 points in the matchup with the SunsCredit: Getty
Phoenix dominated Los Angeles in the primetime clash, leading by as many as 32 points.
As the tough night went on, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham benched James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves.
When the buzzer rang for the final time, TNT cameras caught the upset LeBron – already in street clothes – heading straight to the tunnel without congratulating Kevin Durant and Co. for the victory.
An NBA fan pointed out his reaction was drastically different from when the Lakers beat the Suns early on October 26, posting a clip of him hugging Durant after the win in a social media post.
And others rushed to criticize the 19-time All-Star for his actions.
“This is what he does. It is unprofessional and so disrespectful to the competition and the game,” one wrote.
“I do not respect him as a champion because of his grace in failure. He will never be the GOAT. He is just a great ball player that had discipline to extend his career,”
Another added: “Sore loser lol.”
A third said: “A simple handshake would suffice!”
And one wrote: “Wow. I keep tellin yall Bron is the problem on this team. All Bron care about is Bron. Embarrassing.”
James registered 10 points on 3-for-11 from the field (27.3%) in addition to five rebounds, nine assists, and a steal.
Bradley Beal was red-hot on Thursday, scoring a season-high 37 points on 66.7% shooting.
Beal went 8-for-10 from downtown, falling one triple short of tying his career-high in 3-pointers made in a single game.
Devin Booker added 31 points while Durant scored 18 in a huge night for Phoenix’s Big 3.
The Lakers slipped under .500 on the season again due to the loss.
They would approach the Saturday clash against the Utah Jazz with a 19-20 record.
