Watch: LeBron James draws blood on his nose after taking hard hit from Evan Mobley
While LeBron James is often regarded as the Iron Man of the NBA due to his remarkable longevity and consistent performance, he is not immune to injuries. In the game between the LA Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, he was left bleeding after taking a hit to the nose by Evan Mobley.
LeBron James was defending third-year Cavalier Evan Mobley in the first quarter when this incident happened. As Mobley made a move, the side of his face bashed into the nose of James.
Despite the incident, no foul was called, and play continued. However, James was unable to make it past halfcourt due to the bleeding from his nose.
The Lakers called timeout shortly after.
Leading up to the game, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Cam Reddish were all game-time decisions. Ultimately, James and Davis were cleared to play. However, Reddish was ruled out, joining Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent, who are sidelined due to injuries.
15 games into his 21st season, James is averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 57.8% from the field and 41.4% from deep.
LeBron James crosses 39,000 career points
On Tuesday, James, the NBA's leading scorer, became the only player in NBA history to score 39,000 career points. He achieved this feat during the Lakers' 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz. James finished the game with 17 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
“I got congratulated by my teammates and coaches, (but) I haven’t had an opportunity to really wrap my head around what that means,” James said (per NBA.com).
“There’s been so many great players that came across this league since the beginning of time, and so many great scorers. To be able to accomplish something that’s the first of anything, I think that’s always pretty cool. It’s a wild moment, that’s for sure.”
Looking back at when LeBron James made Scott Foster bleed
During last year's playoffs, LeBron James was on the delivering end of an accidental hit that resulted in referee Scott Foster bleeding.
The incident occurred with 2:29 left in the second quarter of the Lakers' Western Conference Finals matchup against the Denver Nuggets last May.
Following a short jumper by Denver's Jamal Murray, which extended Denver's lead to 55-48, James turned to run back. As he accelerated into a sprint, he collided with Foster.
The referee bore the brunt of the impact in his face with his whistle in his mouth, resulting in some bleeding.
"I was already in sprint mode. My bad, Scott," James told Foster.
Foster responded with a joke:
"You've been wanting to do that for 25 years."