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LeBron James and the LA Lakers shot a season-low eight free-throw attempts against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, prompting James to express frustration postgame. However, James’ former rival, Andrew Bogut, didn’t feel sympathetic for LA.
The Lakers shot four-for-eight (50.0%) at the line as they fell 123-113 to the Suns, who shot 18-for-19 (94.7%). The disparity in free-throw attempts between the two teams (11) wasn’t particularly notable. Nonetheless, the contest marked LA’s first game with single-digit attempts this season.
Additionally, per StatMuse, the Lakers’ eight free-throw attempts were their fewest in a game since Dec. 29, 2021, against the Memphis Grizzlies (eight). Upon the outlet tweeting the fact, Bogut replied, quipping about Sunday’s officials being suspended for putting LA at a disadvantage.
“The NBA has suspended the referees effective immediately,” Bogut tweeted.
Notably, the former Golden State Warriors big man faced off against James in the 2015 and 2016 NBA Finals. His Warriors defeated James’ then-Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2 in the 2015 finals. However, the four-time MVP got revenge a year later, as Cleveland famously came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 finals 4-3.
So, given Bogut’s Sunday tweet, it appears that the 2015 champion still isn’t the biggest fan of his former rival or his latest team.
Also Read: Top 5 highlights from Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers ft. LeBron James' steal & power slam - February 25
LeBron James on Lakers’ season-low 8 free-throw attempts against Suns
Following LA attempting a season-low eight free-throw attempts against Phoenix, LeBron James spoke with the media, criticizing the “narrative” surrounding his team.
The 20-time All-Star highlighted how opposing coaches and players often complain about the Lakers getting too many calls. However, according to James, his team deserves to shoot free throws at a high rate because it attacks the rim more than other teams.
“There’s this narrative out there that that’s all we do is get to the free-throw line. I mean, we have attackers, that’s what we do,” James said.
“We’re not shooting 40-50 3s a game. We’re not that team. We don’t have the luxury of being that team. When we're getting to the paint, that's what we're really good at. So, to have eight free-throw attempts is definitely not us.”
(2:16 mark below)
As James noted, the Lakers rank 30th in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game (30.8), so they aren’t firing at will from long distance. Meanwhile, they rank sixth in the league in free-throw attempts per game (24.3).
Thus, based on the stats, it appears that James is correct that his team isn’t receiving an unfair advantage at the line given its play style. Nonetheless, the Lakers’ tendency to grumble about calls will likely continue rubbing some of their opponents the wrong way.
LA (31-28) will look to bounce back from Sunday’s loss against one of its top Western Conference rivals, the LA Clippers (37-19), on Wednesday.
