LeBron James and Anthony Edwards are two of the headline stars in the playoff series between the Lakers and Timberwolves(Image: Getty Images)
Fans swarmed social media to attack LeBron James after he appeared to injure Anthony Edwards during Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
On Sunday afternoon, the Lakers and Timberwolves faced off in a crucial Game 4 with Minnesota holding a slender 2-1 lead. During the first half, James and Edwards – teammates as Team USA stormed to Olympic gold – clashed in a scary play that nearly led to an injury for the 2020 first overall pick.
As the ball was knocked loose back into the Timberwolves halfcourt, James – whose son Bronny has also featured in the series – believed he had a chance to compete for possession and laid it all out as he dove to the floor. However, while the four-time MVP got a hand on the ball, Edwards also got two hands on it.
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The ball rolled free and, just as Edwards turned to chase, James accidentally caught his ankle. The 23-year-old writhed in pain on the court as Timberwolves – and a prone James – feared the worst.
Edwards was able to get up and walk to the Wolves’ bench without any assistance. He stayed in the game, but fans were furious with James for his role in what could have been a concerning injury in a crucial spot.
“LeBron James is an idiot for that foul on AE,” posted one fan. Another wrote: “Total dirty play by LeBron.”
Others were more concerned about an incident in James’ past. Back in 2021 when the Lakers faced the Atlanta Hawks, Solomon Hill fell into James’ right leg, causing his ankle to twist inward unnaturally. James fell to the ground, grabbed his ankle, and screamed in pain as he suffered an injury that lingered over the remainder of his 2020-21 season, which saw the defending champion Lakers suffer a first-round exit to the Phoenix Suns.
Fans were quick to reference how James was on the opposite side of the incident this time around. One wrote: “Lebron James pulled a Solomon Hill on Anthony Edwards.”
“When Solomon Hill fell on LeBron’s ankle going for a loose ball, LeBron publicly defamed him,” posted another. “LeBron does it to Edwards and it’s an honest mistake. Hypocrisy.”
It’s clear that James did not intend to hurt Edwards, who escaped unscathed after a concerning few moments on the court in the immediate aftermath. The two have continued to clash on the court; Edwards finished with 43 points, six assists, and eight rebounds while James tallied 27 points to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists.
The Timberwolves won 116-113 to win Game 4. Game 5 takes place at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, April 30.
