LeBron James offers aggressive stance on Zach Collins-Russell Westbrook incident: "I actually saw the cut... wanted to do something to Zach"
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James was seen helping teammate Russell Westbrook off the floor after the latter sustained an injury in a recent game. After being asked some questions regarding his immediate response to the situation, LeBron explained his approach.
The LA Lakers' recent game against the San Antonio Spurs may have resulted in a win. However, the game was far from being free of drama.
In a back-to-back feature against the Spurs, both teams faced immense setbacks. With San Antonio losing Jeremy Sochan and Jakob Poeltl over the course of the game, the Lakers suffered their own losses.
A hard foul by Spurs forward Zach Collins resulted in a rather bloody injury for 9x All-Star Russell Westbrook. With Collins hand catching Westbrook on the face, the forward opened up a gash on the guard's head that started bleeding out almost instantly.
In light of the gruesome scene, Lakers superstar LeBron James was one of the first people to act as he came to his teammate's aid. Breaking up the fight and gathering a towel to slow down the bleeding, James displayed a very different side of him during the incident.
James was asked about his actions during the post-game interview. He responded by saying:
"I saw where the cut was immediately. It's just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don't let it continue to go.
"Before we became teammates, we've always been like brothers and cool with things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. I just tried to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench."
Considering the grave nature of the foul, LeBron also added his rather aggressive take on the matter. He said:
"I actually saw the cut right when it happened once we got him off the floor and wanted to do something to Zach."
Russell Westbrook & LeBron on Zach Collins' flagrant foul that left Russ bleeding
BRON: "His health is more important than the game of basketball...I actually saw the cut right when it happened once he got off the floor & wanted to do something to Zach."
https://t.co/e1pRjwzjg3
The action itself resulted in a flagrant 2 foul call and instant rejection for Zach Collins. However, Westbrook was also dealt a technical for his immediate reaction to the foul.
LeBron's comments on the matter and his immediate response to the situation offer a very different perspective on his relationship with Westbrook. Given that James appeared ready to go at Collins as well, the Lakers can positively assess the situation to some extent.
With James getting his revenge in the form of his massive scoring night, it's only fair to say that the "King" got San Antonio back.
Also Read: LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart suspended for one and two games respectively for their recent altercation
LeBron James hangs 39 on the San Antonio Spurs
LeBron James was a force of nature against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. In the process of leading the LA Lakers to a 143-138 win against the Spurs, James racked up a huge scoring night as well.
Coming off of injury in year 20, James shone for the Lakers in the absence of superstar Anthony Davis. He recorded a monster 39 points along with 11 rebounds and three assists to lead the side.
Considering that Russell Westbrook left the court late in the third-quarter, James started his scoring onslaught which spilled over into the fourth.
LeBron James continues to silence doubters at the age of 37. With a masterful performance to lead the side to a win, the King continues his pursuit of the NBA's All-Time Scoring Leader title.
Read: “I think it’s one of the most sought-after records in sports” - LeBron James in complete awe of chance to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record