LeBron James was blasted as ‘dirty’ for diving into Anthony Edwards’ knee and nearly injuring the Minnesota Timberwolves star during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-113 Game 4 loss of their first-round series.
Edwards, who finished with a game-high 43 points, raced to retrieve a loose ball in the backcourt as James was diving into the backcourt.
However, James’ momentum took him into the side of Edwards’ knee, and the 23-year-old was left writhing on the ground in pain for an extended period of time.
And while Edwards was able to get to his feet and continue playing, fans quickly took to social media to criticize James for appearing to roll over on his rival’s knee.
‘dirty f***ing old man,’ one said of James on X.
‘Sickening stuff from LeBron diving at a player’s knee just because he’s cooking you shameless,’ another said.
LeBron James dove into Anthony Edwards while going for the ball on Sunday in the playoffs
Edwards was left in agony on the ground but was able to return to the game afterwards
James and Edwards were seen shoving one another earlier in the half
James and Edwards could be seen wrestling for position during the first half of the game
‘LeBron 100% threw his body into ANT and I don’t want to hear anybody dismiss that nonsense,’ a third added. ‘Stans and anybody else can lie but dude dove for the ball and then rolled his body into ANT to stop the fast break.’
And a fourth said, ‘Cheap shot LeBron! Look where ball is when he just jumps on leg and rolls!’
Fans also compared James’ play to when Solomon Hill similarly collided with his James’ ankle and injured the Lakers star while going for a steal during a game in 2021.
Hill later said the play was an accident and that he would ‘never disrespect the game and take a player out purposely.’
Earlier in Sunday’s first half, Edwards and James could be seen shoving one another as the former Olympics teammates got physical during a live ball.
The brash Edwards, who hilariously told former President Barack Obama to ‘stand down’ during a meeting with Team USA last summer, has not backed down from James this series, as he averaged 27 points through the first three games of the series.
The former University of Georgia player is considered one of the league’s rising stars and is well-known for his massive confidence.
‘He truly thinks he’s the best player in the world,’ his ex-teammate Theo Pinson said previously on the Run Your Race podcast.
Game 5 will be on Wednesday night in LA, where the Lakers are facing a 3-1 series deficit.
