The highly anticipated Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers matchup has already stirred intense drama. Lakers veteran LeBron James collided with Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, which made him go down hard on the hardwood. James was seen in intense pain following the fall. Later, the medical team attended the star to evaluate his injury status. At that point, all eyes were on James, as his injury would be very devastating for the team’s depth. Fans online have mixed reactions to the incident.
LeBron James suffers injury during Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers matchup
There was a collective gasp at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night as LeBron James hit the hardwood in visible pain during the opening quarter of the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. LeBron went down after a brutal collision with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.
The incident happened midway through the first quarter as LeBron was on his way toward the basket. LeBron inadvertently ran straight into Kuminga near the paint. The impact caught him in the midsection, and the 40-year-old star immediately collapsed, clutching his abdomen in clear discomfort. Soon, the trainers and teammates rushed to his side.
Veteran sports analyst Skip Bayless took to social media, writing, "Did LeBron just get the breath knocked out of him running into Kuminga? Never seen him stay down that long. Seems OK now."
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin also shared an update on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "LeBron James got hit in his midsection by Jonathan Kuminga and was down on the floor for a spell. It appears he will be OK. He is subbing out, but was walking it off during the timeout."
Although the scene was alarming, Lakers fans could finally exhale when LeBron stood up and made his way to the bench under his own power. He was subbed out as the team called a timeout, but signs quickly pointed to it being a painful knock rather than a serious injury.
Fans reacted to LeBron James’ collision with Jonathan Kuminga
James’ injury was an immediate concern for online fans as well. They quickly responded to the Lakers veteran’s collision with the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga.
“My worst nightmare,” one fan wrote.
One fan condemned Kuminga, “Standard dirty play from Kuminga - not the first time.”
“My heart stopped for 30 seconds �������� Please be ok Lebron,” one fan wrote wishing James’ speedy recovery.
Another wrote, “Hopefully just got the wind knocked out of him.”
“Take the night off. Rest up for the playoffs.”
“Glad he’s okay.”
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