LeBron James leaves NBA referee Scott Foster with a bloodied lip after nasty collision
‘You’ve been wanting to do that for 25 years!’: LeBron James leaves NBA umpire Scott Foster with a bloodied lip as the six-foot, 250-pound Lakers star collides with the umpire during the Lakers’ defeat to Denver Nuggets
- LeBron accidentally collided with Scott Foster shortly before the break
- The Lakers lost the game and are in danger of being swept by the Denver Nuggets
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
NBA umpire Scott Foster was left with a bloodied lip after none other than LeBron James collided with him during Saturday night’s Lakers playoff loss to the Nuggets.
The incident happened with a few minutes left in the half – Austin Reaves tried to catch the Nuggets in transition after Jamal Murray scored and James sprinted upfield to help the offense.
Foster didn’t seem to anticipate the turn of pace from James, who edged past him to chase down the track. But someone like James, who is six feet tall and weighs 250 pounds, doesn’t really slip past many people and Foster was no exception.
A stoppage in play was necessary because Foster—an NBA umpire for 28 seasons—was cleared and he was able to continue officiating the game even with an alternate official on hand for playoff games.
James and Foster both saw the funny side of it, with a microphone nearby to pick up their conversation.
LeBron James accidentally collided with referee Scott Walker on Saturday night
The officer required medical treatment for a bloodied lip, but saw the funny side of it
“Calm down, I get it,” Foster said. “I tried to avoid you. Everthing okay. You’ve been wanting that for 25 years!’
James said, ‘I didn’t see him, I turned and went. I was already in sprint mode. I did not see him. My mistake, Scott.’
It ended up being an equally painful night for James and his Lakers team – the 119-108 rout leaves them with the humiliation of being swept by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
The Lakers are down 3-0 with the fourth and possibly final game coming back Monday night in Los Angeles.
But after the game, James said he still had hope his team could turn the series around.
“I can’t speak for the guys right now because I don’t know what’s going through their heads, but I still believe,” said LeBron James, who had 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.
“So it’s time to go back home and fuel up and start the treatment process and the recovery process and get ready for Monday.” My mindset is always stuck.’
Lakers coach Darvin Ham added, “They’re at the top of the food chain for a reason and have a plethora of guys who can hurt you, as was on full display tonight.
“But you know, the circumstances are what they are. Difficult, but not impossible.’