LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers remain the hottest team in basketball after winning their seventh straight game, matching their longest win-streak of the season and winning their 14th game in 15 tries. But there’s still one thing that the Lakers are concerned about and it has to do with the way that their star is being officiated.
LeBron James had a game-high 30 points on the night but the story from both he and the Lakers following their win was that of James not getting enough respect for someone who lives in the paint. It’s not a new story for James, who has complained about a lack of calls driving to the basket since his final season in Cleveland. But the fact that it’s not new makes it even more frustrating.
“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, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The problems that LeBron faces attacking the basket while being a physical specimen brings to mind the days of Shaquille O’Neal and how players were allowed to batter him in the post simply because he was bigger, stronger and faster. With the Lakers in San Antonio tomorrow night, it will be interesting to see if LeBron taking his issues public will result in some more trips to the free-throw line.