Listing the only two times LeBron James has been ejected from an NBA game

LeBron James has practically grabbed the NBA headlines for close to two decades after jumping from high school to the pros. From his rookie year during the 2003-04 season to the current campaign, which is his 19th, he has usually been a hot topic in the league. The grounds for the four-time MVP hugging the spotlight have almost always been for good reason, except for very few rare times.

Recently, LeBron James shook the entire basketball world with a close-fisted attempt to re-arrange Isaiah Stewart’s face out of a box-out battle. What happened next was a scene straight out of the WWE playbook. The entire episode was surprising, shocking and even funny at different times. Vince McMahon could not have written a better script.

Central to the play was LeBron James’ ejection and then a consequent one-game suspension. The ejection did not surprise many given the bloody mess that pretended to be Isaiah Stewart's face. What somehow surprised people was that it was the second time in his career that the current LA Lakers superstar was ejected out of a game.

Here’s a history of LeBron James’ ejections in his career:

---

LeBron James was ejected against his former team the Miami Heat

LeBron James was first ejected in a game against the Miami Heat in 2017. [Hot Hot Hoops]

The usually mild-mannered LeBron James was first ejected in his 1,082nd career game on November 29, 2017. It wasn’t until his 15th season in the league when the Akron, Ohio native had a run-in with an official in an NBA game. James’ Cleveland Cavaliers were facing the Miami Heat in only their 21st game of that season.

The sequence leading to the ejection should be ingrained into the minds of Cavaliers fans who were lustily cheering for their home team against James’ former cohorts. With about two minutes left in the third quarter, LeBron James drove into the heart of the Heat defense and was promptly met by then-rookie Bam Adebayo. There was a slight collision before the King went up for a jump shot that was badly missed.

With a non-call to the action, LeBron James went after referee Kane Fitzgerald, who did not like the Cavs’ superstar’s words and tossed him out. The NBA tweeted a transcript of the interview that ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin conducted in the aftermath of the game with referee Fitzgerald.

Here’s the reasoning behind LeBron James’ first ejection according to Fitzgerald:

“It was a culmination of a couple of different acts. Immediately after the no-call, he turned and threw an air punch directly at me and then aggressively charged at me and then he used vulgarity in my ear a few times.”

In the 28 minutes of playtime before the ejection, LeBron James had already piled up his usual impressive numbers with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals. The Cleveland Cavaliers still went on to win the game behind Kevin Love’s 38 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

---

LeBron James’ altercation with Isaiah Stewart led to the second ejection of his career

The hit on Isaisah Thomas resulted in only the second ejection and first suspension of LeBron James' career. [Photo: LeBron Wire - USA Today]

November 21, 2021, will be remembered in infamy as the time when LeBron James was ejected for a brutal hit on Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons. The franchise player of the Lakers was only in his second game after missing the previous eight due to an abdominal strain. On the night of his return, they were badly beaten by their historic rival, the Boston Celtics.

If the Lakers were expecting a walk in the park against the Pistons in their next game, they were badly mistaken. The Pistons had total control of the ball game prior to the ugly incident. It was with about 9 minutes left in the third quarter and Jerami Grant shooting the second free-throw when all hell broke loose.

Although LeBron James is not a dirty player, the hit on Stewart was consciously done. One could see James looking at the Pistons’ starting center before the vicious hit.

There are similarities between the first and second ejections of James’ career. They both happened in the third, his teams won despite him being off the floor and they happened fairly early into the season. What was different was the result of the ejection.

LeBron James was suspended for the first time in his career following the ejection against the Pistons.