NBA fans did not buy it when LeBron James appeared to hurt his shoulder as the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Playoffs.
When NBA fans look back at Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs between the Suns and Lakers, they’ll probably call it the “Shoulder Game.”
Chris Paul had to come out of the game briefly after a first-half shoulder injury. In the second half, LeBron James also hurt his shoulder during a sequence that ended with a scuffle on the court between Phoenix and LA players.
It all started when Paul challenged James on a rebound.
Players had to be separated after a CP3 loose ball foul on LeBron. pic.twitter.com/KpFxOPco6r
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 23, 2021
Was it a foul?
Not a dirty play by CP3 but did hold LeBron's arm so the foul accurately called.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 23, 2021
Remember, it’s the playoffs. Friends don’t exist in the playoffs.
i know mark jackson got hell for saying lebron shouldn't have helped chris paul up...but that right there is why i'd never help chris paul up. i don't give a damn what he is to my son.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) May 23, 2021
Looking like Lebron & Chris Paul won’t be taking anymore banana boat trips after this series! #NBAPlayoffs
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) May 23, 2021
Many people on Twitter weren’t entirely convinced that James had been fouled hard enough to fall like that or that he hurt himself that bad.
NBA Twitter accused LeBron James of flopping
Plenty wondered if the Lakers star was embellishing a bit.
LeBron so damn prepared for his second career ... in acting.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 23, 2021
I wish Lebron James, one of the physically toughest athletes of all time, would stop the flopping theatrics.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) May 23, 2021
LeBron stans every time he hits the ground pic.twitter.com/qTTxvwy9sb
— I Think You Should League Pass (@nbaleave) May 23, 2021
Nobody:
— Memes (@PardonMyMeme) May 23, 2021
Lebron: pic.twitter.com/IUkmptda6b
Even fans who like LeBron weren’t defending him this time.
I do really like Lebron. I think he’s great, but my mans a flopper pic.twitter.com/FkAK4raJ3h
— Big Papa Joe (@JosephDevers31) May 23, 2021
LeBron when he noticed no one paying attention to him pic.twitter.com/qe5etfYWAZ
— Ryan Gosling Stan Account (@federalia) May 23, 2021
I like LeBron a lot, but I swear this is how he would react if he had a paper cut. pic.twitter.com/v9S8vBescK
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) May 23, 2021
It was quite a coincidence that both Paul and James had shoulder problems in the game.
LeBron studying CP3's shoulder injury in the first half so he could try and overshadow it in crunch time pic.twitter.com/NrWbBZ4TQr
— Alex Roux (@a_roux) May 23, 2021
Chris Paul: No one can milk more drama out of a shoulder injury than than me.
— Josh Wozney (@JoshWozney) May 23, 2021
Lebron: pic.twitter.com/DFVwkJ2BL8
Of course, the difference in response to the injuries was undeniable.
https://twitter.com/MJaysTV/status/1396583873048457224?s=20
Like Paul before him, James recovered from the issue well enough to make it back on the court after a short absence.
The incident resulted in a slew of fouls after a coming together between Cameron Payne and Alex Caruso. Caruso and Montezl Harrell got technical fouls while Payne was ejected for two technicals.
The Suns got the 99-90 victory in the end. Perhaps hindered as a shooter following his injury, Paul finished with seven points but had four rebounds, eight assists, a steal and a block. James had 18 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and three steals.