The Los Angeles Lakers left Thursday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets with more than frustration. LeBron James voiced anger after a hard play involving Nikola Jokic that led to a possible injury. The moment came late in Los Angeles’ 120–113 defeat in Denver. Under the arena lights, James absorbed contact from Jokic while finishing a layup. No whistle came. Moments later, the Lakers star walked off rubbing his left elbow.
The sequence quickly became the biggest talking point of the night.
James banged his elbow on the floor with 4:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. The collision happened as Jokic challenged the play at the rim. Officials allowed play to continue. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers forward felt the impact immediately.
“It’s pretty sore right now,” James said after the game. “It felt like one of those funny bone situations, but like, super more intense.”
James briefly returned after a timeout. Still, the discomfort lingered. He exited again and did not play the final 22.3 seconds. After the game, he iced the elbow while longtime trainer Mike Mancias placed a compression sleeve on his left arm for the team flight back to Los Angeles.
Lakers star LeBron James fumes over Jokic no-call
When reporters asked about the officials’ explanation, James did not hold back. The Lakers veteran sounded far more irritated about the decision involving Nikola Jokic than about the injury itself.
https://twitter.com/mcten/status/2029814910713221211
“It’s the same s—,” James said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “ ‘Marginal.’ It’s the same s—. … That’s all they keep saying is ‘marginal.’ I’m so f—ing tired of that word. It doesn’t make no sense.”
Meanwhile, Lakers coach JJ Redick added that James iced the elbow after the game because the discomfort prevented him from finishing. His status for the next matchup remains uncertain.
The night still carried history. James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career field goals in NBA history. Yet the achievement faded into the background as the Nuggets rode 28-point performances from Jokic and Jamal Murray.
One question now hangs over Los Angeles. Will the Lakers get their superstar back quickly, or will the LeBron James injury story grow louder before the next tipoff?
