After sending a message to the Grizzlies with an emphatic series-clinching Game 6 win in Los Angeles, Lakers superstar LeBron James made it clear he wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries with the team he just sent packing in the first round.
James called it a night early on Friday against No. 2-seed Memphis after contributing 22 points in a series-low 31 minutes during the Lakers’ 125–85 victory. As James watched from the bench while the seventh-seeded Lakers iced the clinching game, however, the four-time NBA champion decided to head to the locker room with 14.1 seconds left.
James’s leaving the floor before the final buzzer was, of course, immediately noticed by the ESPN broadcast crew, considering his decision to forgo the traditional postgame handshakes with the opponent. The King’s sudden exit also later became a talking point on NBA Twitter among fans speculating the reason behind the move, with many referencing the well-documented on- and off-the-court drama between James and Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks.
LeBron James left the floor with 14.1 seconds remaining in the game. Not yet clear why he didn't stick around for the final buzzer. pic.twitter.com/Zebzb7AlLw
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) April 29, 2023
Although it remains unknown why James left the court early, his social media activity on Saturday likely confirmed, at the very least, it had to do with his feelings for the Grizzlies.
Less than 24 hours after the Lakers’ big win, James had a field day on Instagram and Twitter with a series of posts acknowledging his and L.A.’s dominant victory over Memphis. Needless to say, the 38-year-old appears to be feeling pretty good after helping the Lakers win a playoff series at home for the first time since 2012, and clinch a second-round date against the No. 2-seed Kings or No. 7-seed Warriors.
