The NBA is so much better when there are teams and players who seem to genuinely not like each other.
That’s definitely the vibe that we’re getting with the Grizzleis and Lakers.
You can’t tell me that the Lakers aren’t reveling in the fact that they just completely decimated Memphis by 40 points to put them out of the playoffs. And that they weren’t laughing hysterically in the locker room about Ja Morant’s “fine in the West” comments from months ago.
Obviously, things got a bit tense between these two sides after Dillon Brooks called LeBron James old. James, very obviously, did not appreciate that coming from the other side.
So, after the Lakers took out the Grizzlies by 40 points, James didn’t even bother to show his opponent any respect. He didn’t shake hands with the Grizzlies at all.
Instead, he went straight to the locker room after taking care of business. The game wasn’t even over yet — there were still 14 seconds left on the clock before the final buzzer.
LeBron James left the floor with 14.1 seconds remaining in the game. Not yet clear why he didn't stick around for the final buzzer. pic.twitter.com/Zebzb7AlLw
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) April 29, 2023
That’s the pettiness I absolutely love to see. Shaking hands after the game is a sign of respect. It’s very clear, LeBron doesn’t respect the Grizzlies. At all.
It’s not just this series, either. The tension between these two sides has been brewing for months — since the Shannon Sharpe debacle, really. You know what the vibes are.
If you didn’t, LeBron just made it crystal clear here. He ain’t rocking with those dudes. It is what it is.
Give me this series again next year, please. We need part 2.