LeBron James tells media that he didn’t rip his jersey sleeves because they were uncomfortable, he did it because he was frustrated.
Last night, the world was watching LeBron James as he ripped the sleeves off the Cleveland Cavaliers’ alternate jerseys.
James ripping off the fabric appeared to be a result of his displeasure for the sleeved jerseys that the NBA keeps trying to push. If you missed it, here it is.
Fans took to Twitter, exclaiming that the Cavs would never again wear sleeved jerseys because of the King’s obvious displeasure with them. This wasn’t the first time James has seemed to have hated the sleeves, as when the league has pushed them for Christmas day games, he has said they affect his shooting.
After the game, though, James told the media that he didn’t rip the sleeves because they were bothering him or his shot, he ripped them because he was simply frustrated, and wanted to take his frustration out on something, other than his face.
“I was just off rhythm a lot tonight,” James said, via The Chronicle Telegram. ” The jersey was the only thing I could go to. I couldn’t do nothing to my face.”
So, maybe the sleeves were affecting his shot again, but he doesn’t seem to have any major public hate for the sleeves. But if the Cavs don’t wear sleeves for the rest of the year, you know why.
Cleveland would go on to win the game 96-86 over the Knicks. It’s not completely clear how much of an impact the sleeve ripping had last night, but James ended the game with 23 points.