Mark Williams Seemed to Love Seeing LeBron James & Co. Get Eliminated From Playoffs

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams reacts to an official’s call. | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers saw their playoff run cut short on Wednesday night, losing Game 5 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It feels safe to say that no one is enjoying the Timberwolves’ win more than budding superstar Anthony Edwards, but it’s possible that Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams is a close second.

Williams has been active across social media accounts reveling in the Lakers’ loss.

Mark Williams on IG celebrating the Lakers’ downfall: pic.twitter.com/aiCVP5lCW3
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2025

🙂
— Mark Williams (@MarkWi1liams) May 1, 2025

Williams’s disdain for the Lakers dates back to his awkward near-acquisition by Los Angeles earlier this year.

In the wake of the shocking trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks in exchange for superstar Luka Doncic, there was a second deal that the Lakers were working to get done at the deadline—an attempt to bring in Williams.

It was not hard to see why the Lakers were in need of a player like Williams, as Davis’s departure left a substantial hole in the team’s lineup at center. A deal for Williams was in place and agreed to, but ultimately fell through after he failed the team’s physical. It was a whole thing.

Williams returned to Charlotte and played out the rest of the season, averaging a double-double and looking pretty good for a guy that apparently failed a physical.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ lack of a Williams-esque big was quite noticeable on Wednesday night, as Wolves center Rudy Gobert wreaked havoc on both side of the ball, finishing the game with 27 points and 24 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. With LeBron James serving as the Lakers de facto center in crunch time, Gobert was unstoppable.

RUDY GOBERT DOMINATES INSIDE TO LIFT THE @Timberwolves INTO THE WEST SEMIS!

🐺 27 PTS
🐺 24 REB (9 OREB)
🐺 2 BLK
🐺 80.0 FG% (12-15 FGM)

Gobert is just the FOURTH player to record 25/20 on 80+ FG% in a playoff game... and the first since 1996 🤯 pic.twitter.com/UFAgmqZQE0
— NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2025

The Lakers will undoubtedly be looking for a big man to add to their roster this offseason. Judging by his social media posts, Williams isn’t waiting for a call.