LeBron James famously said he didn’t flop in 2013 and that he didn’t even know how. But the Los Angeles Lakers has been all about expanding his craft, even in the later years of his career. These days, James clearly has a handle on how to flop.
During the Lakers’ loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks reached in to poke away the ball, and his forearm seemed to brush LeBron’s face. Perhaps noticing that the referees didn’t notice, LeBron dramatically drew up his face and fell backward to the hardcourt. It was a very theatrical oversell of a very minor foul. Still, LeBron’s reaction drew the response he desired: a call in his favor.
And because it’s LeBron, NBA fans were absolutely ruthless on Twitter.
To be fair, the play was a foul, even if it was minor. And perhaps LeBron wouldn’t have gotten the call, if not for his theatrical reaction. This was a fairly savvy piece of gamesmanship.
