Lakers Lodge Formal Complaint Over LeBron’s Free Throw Count

OnlineBetNow — The Los Angeles Lakers have officially expressed their dissatisfaction with the NBA’s officiating, particularly concerning the number of fouls called for LeBron James. After a narrow defeat to the Miami Heat, where the Lakers lost 108-107, the team has highlighted what they perceive as a series of missed calls against James.

LeBron James, known for his aggressive playstyle, only made it to the free-throw line four times during the game, converting all attempts. In contrast, the entire Lakers team had 14 free throw attempts to the Heat’s 16. The Lakers pointed out several instances in the game footage where they believe James was fouled but no call was made.

One specific incident involved a dunk attempt by James, where he claimed to have been elbowed across the face by Thomas Bryant of the Heat. The referees’ lack of consensus on the call led to Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham receiving a technical foul for his protest.

This season, James is averaging a career-low 5.7 free throws per game, a significant drop from his career average of 7.7. The decrease in free throw attempts may be partly due to his evolving playstyle, which now includes more perimeter shooting. Nevertheless, the Lakers and James feel that the officiating has not been consistent, with James voicing his frustrations on social media about the calls he believes are being missed.

The Lakers’ formal complaint to the NBA underscores their concern over what they see as an unfair treatment of one of the league’s most prominent players. As the team awaits a response, the debate over the fairness of NBA officiating continues.

“I’ve been around this league a long time, man,” Ham said. “We just want balance and consistency. That’s it. I see ‘Bron shooting four free throws, and the amount of times that he attacked the rim, the amount of times he was slapped on the arm, which I could see plain as day, for that not to be called? Man, he’s not flopping. I’m watching him go to the hole strong.”

James was vocal regarding the officiating as well. 

“I’m going over to [the officials] respectfully and telling them what’s going on in the plays, and I consistently go to the line three or four times a game. Sometimes not even at all, which is weird,” James said. “So, just got to keep driving, keep putting pressure on the rim and see if it turns.”