Los Angeles Lakers talisman LeBron James was pushed to breaking point during his side's 123-95 defeat by the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) went so far as to bark at one vocal fan sitting courtside as he appeared to tell them to 'shut your a** up' mid-game.
James, 37, was unable to prevent the Lakers from falling to a second straight loss at home on Sunday despite contributing 32 points, one third of his team's overall tally.
Tensions have been bubbling for some time and spilled onto the court at the Crypto.com Arena after James decided he'd had enough of the jeers.
"Tell me one thing you know about basketball besides the ball going in or out," James asked the heckler during a stoppage in play, much to the delight of some spectators in the vicinity.
He then proceeded to go about his business and play continued, but not before telling the fan: "Shut your a** up."
The spectator in question had reportedly been offering James some advice about his game just prior to the incident, allegedly telling the four-time NBA champion he needed to brush up on his defence.
He wasn't the only Laker who found himself as the target of fan frustrations, either, with team-mate Trevor Ariza getting into a verbal back-and-forth of his own with a member of the crowd.
The 36-year-old—who became an NBA champion during his first stint with the Lakers in 2009—could be seen repeatedly calling someone a "b***h" before that fan was escorted out of the arena.
It's not the first time coach Frank Vogel's side have encountered scrutiny from the sidelines this season, with Lakers fans even heard booing their own team at certain games of late.
The 2020 champions have lost 33 of their 60 outings so far this season and could be on course for their worst return since the 2015/16 term, when they won just 17 times in an 82-game season.
James—an 18-time All-Star—has been linked with an LA exit and a potential return to his native Cleveland Cavaliers, having recently said the current campaign is " definitely different."
The Lakers sit fourth in the Western Conference's Pacific Division and are at risk of missing out on a place in the play-offs for the first time since 2019.
It's a disappointing state of affairs after expectations for this season looked so high following Russell Westbrook 's arrival from the Washington Wizards.
James & Co. could be poised for further tensions with 22 games still left to play, however, with fans only likely to become less tolerant unless there's a major turnaround in form.
