Reports: LeBron James mentions referees have been telling him privately that they’re missing foul calls on him
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James recently voiced his frustrations with NBA referees for not getting foul calls. With James mentioning that some referees came up to him and told him how they missed some calls, the superstar has a valid reason to be upset.
James recently revealed that some referees would come up to him at halftime or at the end of the game to tell him that they missed foul calls on him. This is a major setback for the superstar as he is known to be aggressive going downhill.
Although James hasn't been the best free throw shooter over the course of his 20-year career, he puts pressure on his opponents by drawing fouls consistently. With opposing players in foul trouble, it is unlikely that opposition teams will heavily contest his drives to the basket.
However, with several calls being missed, LeBron is put in a significantly more vulnerable position as he gets routinely clobbered on drive attempts even in year 20.
While some may suggest that this is an eyewash, James is statistically shooting fewer free throws each game. James is currently attempting only 5.1 FT's per game, a significant drop from 7.6 FT attempts in the 2018-19 season. This is also a drop from last season, where he averaged 6.0 FT attempts per game.
The Lakers have been a particularly disappointing offensive unit this season. The team's struggle to get foul calls only adds to their misery. With James also not benefitting from the calls that most superstars get in the league, he has a good reason to be frustrated with the referees.
LeBron James says refs have been telling him privately that they’re missing foul calls on him: lakersdaily.com/lebron-james-s…
Also read: 5 reasons why LeBron James' age has failed to slow him down in the NBA
LeBron James fails to lead the LA Lakers to a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers
To add to LeBron's frustration with referees, the Lakers failed to beat the in-form Cleveland Cavaliers in their most recent game. After a 100-114 loss against the Cavs, the Purple and Gold are now 2-7 for the season.
However, James impressed against his former team. He finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. While the numbers were impressive, he ended the night with a +/- of -8. James also went 0-3 from the free-throw line. This merely adds to the frustration while James continues to shoot poorly from beyond the arc.
Related: Shannon Sharpe on LeBron shooting 22.6% from beyond the arc: "Quit shooting bad threes"
The Lakers have fallen behind in the win column this season. With a two-game losing streak, the Lakers now head to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz on Monday.