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Despite logging their 14th win in the first 17 games of the new season on Saturday in a hard-fought 109-108 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was not exactly delighted with how the game was officiated.
In a post-game interview following a tight encounter against the Grizzlies, James could not help but call out the referees for the lack of calls going in his direction.
“I'm living in the paint and if you look at my arm right here, these are four or five [scratches] that happened the last two games, and they weren't called at all,” said James, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
As it turns out, this has been an issue for LeBron that goes beyond Saturday's contest. Nevertheless, the three-time NBA champ was still able to lead his side to a victory against Memphis, logging a game-high 30 points (on 14-of-27 shooting), two 3-pointers, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 39 minutes of play.
Perhaps the most shocking statistic on the evening is the fact that James did not have a single trip to the free-throw line all game long. For his part, this is something Lakers head coach Frank Vogel could not fathom.
“It's frustrating,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “LeBron's going to the basket all night long. He took nine 3s, but he's in the paint all night long. … When your guy's attacking the basket the way he is and getting zero free throw attempts, it's something that can be frustrating.”
Both LeBron and Vogel were fairly cautious with how they worded their criticism, so we shouldn't be expecting any fines from the league here. Then again, with how the NBA has become so sensitive when it comes to protecting game officials, you actually never know at this point.
