LeBron tried to apologize for the elbow, Isaiah Stewart brushed him off
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James tried to apologize to Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart for hitting him in the face with an elbow during Sunday's game.
"LeBron James tried to track down Isaiah Stewart's number after the game to apologize again to Stewart and let him know it was an unintentional hit," The Athletic reported.
James punched Stewart in the face as the two waited for a rebound in the third quarter of the Lakers-Pistons game.
LeBron James tried to track down Isaiah Stewart's number after the game to apologize again to Stewart and let him know it was an unintentional hit,
Stewart, with blood on his eyebrow, immediately got up from the floor and tried to hit James. But he was restrained by several people from both teams.
Stewart ended up bloodied from the elbow and needed eight stitches to heal his wound. Both James and Stewart were ejected from the game.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey said he does not feel LeBron is a dirty player.
"His eye got cracked all the way open," Casey told reporters of Stewart. "He was upset for a reason. I don't think that James is a dirty player, but it got them going instead of continuing the momentum that we had."
A stain on LeBron's legacy
The Lakers were losing 78-66 at the time of the incident, but ended up winning the game 121-116.
Stewart, who almost missed the game due to ankle problems, will receive a suspension like LeBron. His reaction will cost him several games, as the NBA usually punishes harshly both the action of the hit and the reaction of seeking revenge immediately.
James has been sent off once before for an incident similar to this, but it will be his night in Detroit which sticks in the memory of fans.
Now, the Lakers are also likely to panic in the absence of their key player, having seen how the team struggled when he was injured.
Post a Comment