Fans need to recognize that when it comes to the privilege of sitting courtside, you better respect the rules of engagement.
A day after his one-game suspension for elbow-gate, the scuffle between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart in Detroit, James had two fans ejected from a game in Indiana.
Ok so yea they probably really were saying that about Bronny smhhhh! If Savannah was there WHEW😮💨😮💨😮💨 https://t.co/VTYMFtUtDR
— 🏀🌱💙 (@Eunique_ny) November 25, 2021
Justifiable Ejection
However, James felt justified for pointing out the perceived disrespect.
“When obscene gestures and language come into it, (it) can’t be tolerated,” said James to reporters at the postgame press conference.
I know ppl are having fun calling #Lebron a snitch but If that lady who got kicked out of the Pacers game really said “I hope Bronny dies in a car wreck” to LeBron they should be banned forever. https://t.co/ghbU0pa1QQ
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) November 25, 2021
“There’s a difference from cheering for your team and not wanting the other team to win and things I would never say to a fan and they shouldn’t say to me.”
Bounced
The Wednesday incident happened against the Pacers. According to reports, two Pacers fans were college students who felt James’ ire to the point that he brought a game official over to them and specifically pointed them out.
James could be heard saying to the referees with 2:29 left in overtime, “This one right f*#king here!” as he ordered action against the offending fans.
https://twitter.com/TitansOfSports1/status/1464301564957536258?s=20
Immediately, the two Pacers fans were ejected by security after being directed by the referees. While mimicking a crybaby and making a mockingly sad face, the two fans left the arena while James received a cascade of boos from the local Pacers crowd.
The Silencer
The Lakers went on to win the game 126-116, and James was the stunner with a clutch 3-pointer followed by his infamous Silencer pantomime.
.@KingJames get fined 15k for this too???? @FredVanVleet https://t.co/FynHK4F7h4
— Chris Wiggins (@chriswiggins_) November 26, 2021
James finished with 39 points, and although he wasn’t specific about what the fans said that got them ejected, the internet filled in the gaps.
Immediately, social media circulated the speculative theory that the couple said something rancorous about Bronny James, LeBron’s high school star son.
Came For Bronny, Disrespectfully
According to Black Twitter and beyond, the fans said that the couple stated they hoped Bronny James got hit by a car. Reports are that people heard the couple repeatedly shout, “I hope Bronny dies in a car wreck.”
Fans sitting close to the couple have said they kept shouting, “I hope Bronny dies in a car wreck.”
Don’t ever call him a snitch or soft. https://t.co/cH898o4mYK
— ✭ Amber ✭ (@D4KSB) November 25, 2021
Immediately, the polarization took effect as what was an attempt by LeBron’s many haters to position him as a power-hungry NBA player that ridiculed two college students turned into support for a father defending his son.
Although what the fans said has not been confirmed, social media would not be satisfied, and Twitter especially was convinced that James was justified for his actions.
https://twitter.com/laura_xvo/status/1464107062057709571?s=20
A Father’s Love
As the face of the NBA, James is a lightning rod of controversy, opposing team fan hate, and more. In addition, he is raising a son that is a prominent future star. However, he is not afraid to exercise his clout when things go south.
The Unrealistic Expectations Surrounding Bronny James Have Already Gone Too Far
It was not the first negative James-to-fan interaction that led to an ejection from an arena.
Beleaguered LeBron James actually stopped a game to demand that two people who were bugging him, sitting court-side be removed from the arena. pic.twitter.com/h1PRb1B77b
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) November 25, 2021
Last season in Atlanta, James famously had a courtside altercation that led to four fans being ejected from a Lakers-Hawks game. Nicknamed “Courtside Karen,” the fan felt the weight of the “King’s” kingdom. She was ridiculed online mercilessly for the infraction.
LeBron James is fresh from a suspension and in the throes of trying to get his newly formed team on the winning track. James isn’t playing that when it comes to fan disrespect.
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