LeBron James wasn’t going to let that one slide easily.
Following the Lakers’ 106-102 victory Friday night, the 21-time All-Star and four-time MVP took to Instagram to show his frustration toward a controversial late-game foul overturned at his expense.
Late in the fourth quarter, with 25.1 seconds left and the Clippers trailing by four points, James was fouled by Kawhi Leonard while receiving an inbound pass, taking a clear hit to the face and knocking him down.
The Clippers went on to challenge the call and it was overturned after the officials ruled it was “marginal contact.”
James posted a photo of the contact and had two words for the referees on Instagram: “Marginal huh!?!?”
“The contact after was deemed marginal. Therefore, this is a successful challenge. … The Clippers will get the basketball on the sideline,” the official ruled.
When receiving the inbound pass, Leonard attempted to steal the ball, and his arm appeared to hit James’ face.
James, 40, even stayed on the court for a while following the foul and was eventually brought to his feet by two teammates.
Following the call, James seemingly argued back with the referees on what could have been a game-altering call.
Still, the Lakers walked away with their fifth consecutive win and James walked away with a double-double on the night with 28 points and 13 rebounds, along with three assists, across 37 minutes.
Additionally, the game added James to the history books yet again by becoming the oldest player in NBA history to average 25 points or more in a single month.
In February, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 boards, and 6.9 assists through 11 games, including Friday.
The Lakers also held a 9-2 record during that stretch.
