"Stevie Wonder could see that": Birthday boy LeBron James sounds off on refs overturning his game-tying 3
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James was left in disbelief on his 39th birthday after the referees ruled his game-tying triple late in their match against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This led them to lose, 108-106, on the road on Saturday.
Trailing by three points, 107-104, as the seconds ticked away, James pulled up for a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left and made it. The shot was reviewed, and following a discussion among themselves, game officials ruled the shot as only a two-point basket, giving the Timberwolves a one-point lead, 107-106.
In the ensuing play, Minnesota All-Star Anthony Edwards was fouled but split his free throws. James made an attempt at the basket as time expired but his shot was off the mark.
Following the game, the four-time NBA All-Star let out his frustration over what transpired late in their game. He alluded to visually impaired recording superstar Stevie Wonder to make his case and take a dig at the people in charge of reviewing plays.
LeBron James said (via Lakers Daily):
"I mean it's obvious a 3, my foot is behind the line. You can see the space between my foot and the front of the 3-point line. ... Stevie Wonder can see that champ. ... Somebody over there [in Secaucus] eating a ham sandwich."
LeBron James was still not over ‘questionable’ overturned three-point shot
LeBron James continued to be livid over the overturned three-point shot he made late in their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday that cost them the game. It spoiled what was his 39th birthday.
As the seconds were ticking down in their game, ‘The King’ jacked up and made a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to tie the count at 107-all. Game officials immediately called for a review of the shot, to the surprise of James and the entire LA Lakers bench.
Following a discussion among themselves, the referees ruled the shot as only a two-point basket, giving the Timberwolves a one-point lead, 107-106. The Lakers could not recover from it after and slumber to the 108-16 defeat.
On an Instagram post following the tough loss, James continued to make his case on the play, posting a screenshot of his feet for what he believed were behind the arc. He highlighted that it was a costly mistake by the referees, saying:
“Sooooooooooooooo!!!!! WTF. Helluva Happy Bday gift to me. 🤦🏾♂️”
James had 26 points in the loss, which was their 16th defeat in 33 games.