LeBron James couldn’t power his team to victory against their bitter rivals as the Boston Celtics took advantage of their home court and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-101.
But after the game, fans took to social media to poke fun at James for his flop in the fourth quarter while the Lakers were trailing.
NBA Fans Call Out LeBron James’ Flop Against the Celtics
James put on a strong performance at TD Garden, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists in 34 minutes before exiting with a groin injury. However, fans were more focused on his attempt to draw a foul during contact with Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter.
One fan uploaded a clip of the play on X, comparing James’ acting skills to Hollywood’s best.
“Best actor in LA: LeBron James,” the fan tweeted.
Best actor in LA: LeBron James pic.twitter.com/so7QvDUxUp
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) March 9, 2025
Fans didn’t hold back, roasting the four-time NBA champion for the flop.
“I can’t stand LeBron. Kobe was 10x better than him. He should be getting an Oscar for that performance though,” one fan replied.
“The dude gets beat and has to flop to cover how horrible his defense was,” another added.
The dude gets beat and has to flop to cover how horrible his defense was.
— Angela (@ac24488) March 9, 2025
“Thissssss this right here is why I can’t stand to watch him, like he good n all but cmon mane I can’t stand floppers,” one fan wrote.
“Yeah, that flop was ridiculous—no argument there. And no, he’ll never be Michael Jordan. But here’s the thing: he was never supposed to be,” another tweeted.
Yeah, that flop was ridiculous—no argument there. And no, he’ll never be Michael Jordan. But here’s the thing: he was never supposed to be.
LeBron James is a generational player who carried the weight of impossible expectations from the age of 16 and somehow still…
— Holy Grail (@HolyGrails50) March 9, 2025
“Dude really should get into acting frfr when he retires,” one fan added.
“Is this how he pulled his groin? Flopping so hard?” another joked.
Is this how he pulled his groin? Flopping so hard?
— JT_in_LA (@JT_in_LA) March 9, 2025
NBA Insider Provides Update on James’ Injury
The 40-year-old left the game with 6:44 remaining after suffering a groin injury. Fans had been wondering about the severity, and NBA insider Shams Charania provided an update, reporting that the Lakers could be without their superstar for multiple games.
“Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with a groin strain, sources tell ESPN. James will wait for the groin injury to calm down over the next 24 hours and receive another evaluation,” Charania tweeted.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with a groin strain, sources tell ESPN. James will wait for the groin injury to calm down over the next 24 hours and receive another evaluation. pic.twitter.com/17mWxsaXN3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 9, 2025
The Lakers have a packed schedule, with five games over the next eight days. James’ absence could make it even tougher for them to secure a top seed in the Western Conference.