LeBron James’ 39th birthday didn’t go as planned during the Lakers’ recent game against the Timberwolves. Facing the league’s top defense, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and found themselves trailing by seven points with only 35 seconds left on the clock in Minnesota.
LeBron managed to score an old-fashioned three-point play in the lane, which, coupled with a technical foul on the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels and a subsequent free throw by Austin Reaves, brought the Lakers within three points. The game’s pivotal moment came next.
LeBron’s critical shot initially ruled a two-pointer on the floor, was subject to a video replay review. Despite scrutiny of the footage, the call remained unchanged. Crew chief Tony Brothers, speaking postgame, explained that the video review did not provide “clear and conclusive evidence” to overturn the original two-point ruling.
LeBron, however, disagreed with the decision. In his postgame remarks, he expressed clear frustration, asserting that his foot was behind the three-point line and there was visible space on the floor between his foot and the line. He quipped that even Stevie Wonder could discern it was a three-pointer.
The Lakers’ loss, however, was not solely due to this one call. LeBron, performing remarkably well for his age, scored 26 points on his birthday. Anthony Davis also had an impressive game with 33 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. Nevertheless, the rest of the Lakers struggled, shooting only 30% overall, and excluding Taurean Prince, they managed just 22.2% from the three-point line. This includes LeBron’s contentious shot at the game’s end, which, if counted as a three-pointer, could have tied the game.