LeBron James was just trying to help out his opponent in Game 3, but Norman Powell took exception to The King’s good deed in a presser after Game 4.
Tensions may have run high throughout the whole Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors, but Toronto’s Norman Powell took specific exception to a moment in Game 3.
The Cavaliers, specifically LeBron James, had a couple “trolling” moments throughout their four-game sweep of the Raptors, but The King tried to actually help out his opponents late in Game 3 in Toronto. Powell was looking to come out of the game and was walking to the bench, and James luckily grabbed Powell by the jersey to help Toronto avoid an illegal substitution foul.
If Powell hadn’t been stopped by James, the Reports would’ve been given a technical foul for the illegal subbing. In the end, LeBron actually helped out his counterpart, even after shooting lefty at times and spinning the ball in Toronto forward Serge Ibaka’s face.
Powell told ESPN in a postgame interview after the Cavaliers ended the Raptors’ season that he wasn’t a fan of James’ move, even though it saved his team in the end.
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“I just don’t like that,” Powell said in the interview with ESPN. “I don’t care if it’s LeBron or if it’s anybody. It could be Kawhi [Leonard], it could be anybody. Just don’t pull my jersey. I feel like that’s a little disrespectful, you know what I’m saying?”
Powell reiterated his point and said that if James had handled the situation differently, he wouldn’t have been as upset.
“He said he was trying to help me,” Powell said. “I mean, if you’re trying to help me, don’t pull my jersey. You can call my name, you don’t have to pull my jersey like that. I feel like that’s disrespectful.
Maybe next time, LeBron and his teammates will be more respectful and let his opponents make all the mistakes they want.