Watch LeBron James get ejected for first time in his career

LeBron James is as close to a clean, untouchable star as there is in the NBA, so his first career ejection is a pretty notable milestone.

In 1,081 career regular season games entering Tuesday night, LeBron James has averaged less than two personal fouls per game and had fouled out just eight times in his career. So it goes without saying he has rarely committed a technical foul too. Cross words within earshot of any official rarely, if ever, come out of James’ mouth.

The Cavaliers are on a very good run right now, winning eight games in a row going into Tuesday night’s contest against the Miami Heat. With the game well in hand deep into the third quarter, James went to the basket and absorbed some heavy contact. He clearly thought he was fouled by Heat forward James Johnson, and he probably was. But what happened next was a career milestone of sorts for the best basketball player in the world.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/935688033717899264

James clearly said some magic words to referee Kane Fitzgerald and he stayed after the argument, easily earning a quick double technical and an ejection. With 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals at the time of the ejection, and Cleveland holding a 93-74 lead at the end of three quarters, James probably wouldn’t have played much (or at all) in the fourth quarter anyway.

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So James got an early exit to the locker room, an early shower and some extra bit of rest, rather than sitting on the bench for the final quarter of what wound up being a 108-97 victory for the Cavaliers. It was of course their ninth straight win, led by 38 points and nine rebounds from Kevin Love, to push their record to 14-7 on the season.