LeBron James suspended: How many games will Lakers star miss after hit on Isaiah Stewart?
Is LeBron James suspended?
In the Lakers’ 121-116 win over the Pistons on Sunday, the 17-time All-Star was disqualified for hitting Isaiah Stewart in the face in central Detroit while fighting for early third-round recovery.
It led to the next sequence, in which a bloody Stewart lunged at the Lakers several times and had to be held back.
James was rated as a rough 2 foul while Stewart received two technical fouls for “lots of unsportsmanlike behavior during change. “
This is the second time James has been dropped from his career, the first being in 2017.
Pistons announced after the game where Stewart asked for five stitches.
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LeBron James will be suspended for how many games?
It is currently unknown if James will be suspended and if so, how many games he will miss.
When Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report polled various people in “NBA-related locations” on what the appropriate answer would be from the league, he said the answers were “all over the map. “
“Some speculated James would play a game or two, but some backed away from that view when reminded the next Lakers play the Knicks in New York on Tuesday,” wrote Pincus.
It is also unclear if Stewart will be suspended for his role in the incident.
“It was a tough play for Isaiah,” Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said. “His eye was completely cracked, and he was sad for a reason. So I don’t think James was a dirty player, but again, that got them going.”
As a point of reference, the Nuggets Nikola Jokic center is suspended a game for pushing temperature striker Markieff Morris in the back earlier this season. Morris, meanwhile, was fined $50,000.
As noted by CBS Sports’ Brad BotkinSunday’s shift resembles a similar incident from the 2015 knockout round when JR Smith received a two-game suspension for a similar backhand hit towards Jae Crowder.
Lakers upcoming schedule 2021-22
Day | Fit | Time (ET) |
---|---|---|
Tuesday, November 23 | in New York | 7:30 PM ONLY |
Wednesday, November 24 | in Indiana | 7:00 pm |
Friday, November 26 | compared to Sacramento | 10:30 PM |
Sun, November 28 | compared to Detroit | 9:30 PM |
Tuesday, November 30 | in Sacramento | 10 pm |
Friday, December 3 | versus LA Clippers | 10 pm |
Lakers without LeBron James this season
Unfortunately for the Lakers, playing without James has become all too familiar this season. The 36-year-old James has featured in just eight of the Lakers’ 18 games, most recently missing eight in a row due to a stomach strain.
The Lakers are going 4-6 without James in the lineup and 5-3 with James including Sunday’s win over the Pistons, in which he scored 21 minutes before being eliminated.