Lakers’ LeBron James swallows one-game suspension: ‘He wanted to play’

NEW YORK — It is commonly known arsenic “the Mecca of basketball,” and LeBron James definite sees Madison Square Garden successful that light. He has said galore times: It’s 1 of his favourite places to play, and it’s his favourite portion of traveling to New York.

For now, his disappointment tin lone beryllium imagined.

James served his one-game suspension connected Tuesday, not adjacent capable to beryllium connected the Lakers’ seat aft the NBA punished him for striking the Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart successful the look during Sunday’s game. It was the archetypal suspension of his 19-year career, costing him an estimated quarter-million dollars, and keeping him from taking the tribunal successful his favourite roadworthy venue.

The 36-year-old hasn’t publically spoken since the incidental connected Sunday. When asked to gauge his star’s absorption to the suspension, Coach Frank Vogel was brief.

“He wanted to play,” helium said. “I don’t truly privation to get into it much than that.”

The Lakers wanted James to play, too. He’s already missed 11 of the team’s 19 games truthful acold this season, the erstwhile 10 to injuries. Not lone are the Lakers struggling to find consistency with their overhauled roster, but the crippled was besides being aired connected nationalist TV arsenic a tilt betwixt the NBA’s 2 biggest markets.

The Lakers person stuck down James, though Vogel stopped abbreviated of griping astir the NBA’s decision.

“It’s unfortunate,” helium said. “We each cognize that LeBron’s 1 of the classiest guys successful the league and plays the crippled the close mode astatine each times. The league has their determination to make. It’s truly 100% retired of our power truthful it doesn’t truly substance what we deliberation astir it.”

That didn’t support All-Star large antheral Anthony Davis from sharing his opinion. He said helium was “surprised” by the suspension, and didn’t deliberation James was going to get suspended from what helium saw arsenic “an accident” wherever James didn’t mean to deed Stewart successful the face.

“I conjecture the study came retired that his deed to the look caused an incident, which is weird due to the fact that helium can’t power however a guy’s gonna react,” helium said. “I mean guys get deed successful the look each the time, and we’re saying that caused the incident. I get deed successful my look astir apt much than anyone, and if I spell disconnected and bash each that, the different feline who deed maine successful the look is gonna get suspended arsenic well? It was strange.”

Added Davis: “But there’s thing we tin bash astir it. He’ll beryllium acceptable to spell tomorrow.”

The Lakers added that they believed they had capable pieces to triumph without James’ assistance connected Tuesday night, though Davis said the beingness of the four-time league MVP would person been “definitely helpful.”

The Lakers were hopeful that different 1 of their wings mightiness play connected Tuesday. Rookie Austin Reaves was upgraded to doubtful the time earlier the game, but by Tuesday greeting helium was downgraded to out. Vogel said it was “unlikely” that Reaves would travel backmost for the past crippled of the five-game travel successful Indianapolis.

“He’s getting closer,” Vogel said. “But we’ll spot however helium responds to today’s work, is truly wherever it’s at.”