Watch: Fan who got mocked by LeBron James upon ejection from Suns-Lakers gets dragged by security
LA Lakers superstar forward LeBron James comically encouraged officials to eject an unruly fan during Sunday's preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Afterward, videos emerged of security forcibly escorting the fan out of Acrisure Arena.
LeBron and his son, Lakers rookie guard Bronny James, were the center of attention Sunday as they made history. They shared the court in the second quarter, becoming the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game.
However, their historic outing featured a slight road bump late in the third quarter when the basketball landed in the stands. The fan who corralled the ball reportedly refused to return it to the referees, seemingly entertaining LeBron and his co-star Anthony Davis on the sideline.
LeBron later gestured for the fan to be thrown out of the game, with officials doing so, much to the apparent satisfaction of LA's bench.
Afterward, more camera angles of the incident began surfacing on X (formerly Twitter), showing the fan's tussle with security. Five security guards dragged the fan out of the arena as he appeared to resist, with others stepping in to help restrain him.
However, the matter was resolved relatively quickly, and the Lakers ultimately fell 118-114 to Phoenix as their reserves got extended playing time.
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LeBron James reflects on eventful first game alongside his son Bronny James against Suns
The aforementioned ejected fan's questionable antics seemingly didn't hinder LeBron James' enjoyment of his first game alongside his son.
After the contest, LeBron touched on the significance of his and Bronny's milestone.
"For a father, it means everything," LeBron said. "For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids, that influence on your son, have moments with your son. Ultimately, if you've ever worked with your son, it’s one of the greatest things a father could ever hope for or wish for."
LeBron finished with a game-high 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers, shooting 66.7%. However, Bronny struggled in his first preseason outing alongside his father. The 2024 No. 55 pick went scoreless and failed to record an assist, tallying two rebounds, four turnovers and three fouls.
Nevertheless, Bronny should have plenty of opportunities to hone his craft throughout the preseason and regular season, and in the NBA G League.
He and the Lakers will return to preseason action on Thursday when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks.
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