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NBA: LeBron James is known for his leadership, but even ‘The King’ has had fiery moments. From playoff clashes to on-court feuds, here are his most intense showdowns in the NBA.
NBA: LeBron James is often the composed leader on the court, guiding his team with precision and calm. But even the greatest have their moments of unfiltered emotion. Whether it’s a playoff war, a heated rivalry, or frustration boiling over, LeBron has had his share of intense confrontations. Here are five moments when ‘The King’ lost his cool and let the fire take over.
It’s rare to see LeBron James lash out at a teammate, but back in Miami, he wasn’t holding back. During a regular-season game against the Pacers, Chalmers made a defensive mistake, and LeBron snapped. Cameras caught him storming towards Chalmers, yelling furiously before teammates had to step in. The locker room, however, showed no cracks and minutes later, LeBron had his arm around Chalmers, signaling it was just heat-of-the-moment passion.
The Pacers were trying everything to get under LeBron’s skin in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals. Enter Lance Stephenson, the ultimate instigator. In Game 5, Stephenson pulled one of the most bizarre moves in NBA history. He blew air into LeBron’s ear. The cameras zoomed in, waiting for James' reaction. Instead of losing his temper, he laughed it off, but the tension between the two carried throughout the game, resulting in a heated exchange later in the series.
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LeBron James had played 1,082 games before he ever got ejected. But on November 28, 2017, against his former team, the Miami Heat, he finally snapped. After a missed call on a drive to the basket, he turned to the referee and went off. A quick double-technical later, LeBron was walking to the locker room, furious. For someone who had kept his composure for over a decade, this was a rare moment.
The 2016 NBA Finals were already heated, but things exploded in Game 4 when Draymond Green and LeBron got tangled up. As LeBron stepped over Green, the Warriors forward swung at him, leading to a verbal battle between the two. The NBA later reviewed the incident and suspended Green for Game 5, a decision that played a pivotal role in Cleveland’s legendary comeback from a 3-1 deficit.
No moment better captures LeBron’s frustration than the infamous J.R. Smith blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals. With the score tied in the final seconds, Smith grabbed an offensive rebound but inexplicably dribbled away from the basket, wasting the clock. LeBron’s reaction was arms outstretched, eyes in disbelief. This became one of the most iconic images of his career. That moment perfectly captured the sheer frustration of carrying a team that wasn’t ready to match his level of excellence.
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