A Crypto.com Arena fan was reportedly ejected from a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday after approaching superstar LeBron James and touching him while he was on the bench.
X user @Fernadad1 captured a video of the interaction that shows the fan grabbing James' right shoulder. James then shoves the fan as Crypto.com Arena security intervenes to move the fan away from the Lakers bench.
The fan could be seen saying something to James as he touched “The King” on his shoulder.
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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench during the Spurs game on December 13, 2023 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Another angle of the video showed the aftermath of the incident, with James now standing and walking away from where security appeared to be taking the fan.
James clearly looked frustrated in the moment, as he continued to turn around while putting on his warm-up sweatshirt. Others on the Lakers bench also looked at James to see what the situation was.
This is not the first time James has faced fans trying to interact with him, as two fans were banned during the 2021 campaign for doing so.
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There was also a time when James was with the Miami Heat, when a fan ran onto the court during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to interact with James. The fan was wearing a t-shirt that said “We miss you” on the front and “2014 is back.”
This interaction, however, did not leave James frustrated, as he patted the fan on the head before being escorted off the court by security.
Lakers forward LeBron James gestures to a referee during the Western Conference semifinal against the Golden State Warriors on May 6, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“He said he missed me and to please come back,” James said at the time, via The Associated Press. “It happened once before at (Madison Square) Garden, so I wasn't worried. There are metal detectors here, so we were fine. I accepted it.”
While some fans have no intention of being malicious in these moments, athletes in all sports never know their intentions in that moment.
Clearly, James didn't like this fan coming up to him and touching him on the sideline mid-game.
When this moment became clear, James helped lead the Lakers to a victory over the Thunder, 112-105, where he scored 25 points with seven rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes on the court.
LeBron James of the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Ronald Martínez/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles hopes to continue racking up wins as they currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 20-21 record on the year.
