Midway through the first quarter on Monday, LA Lakers superstar LeBron James broke away for a dunk against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. Austin Reaves won a loose ball scramble under the boards before whipping a pass to the streaking James, who was a few feet ahead of everybody. With James already up in the air, Smith ended up fouling the four-time MVP.
The slam, which quickly went viral, earned mixed reactions from fans. One fan wrote:
“He was in front of Bari alr. Delete this.”
Another fan added:
“Weak a** dunk.”
One more fan continued:
“Not playing defense at all. Just waiting for a leak out pass all the time. lol. Queenie the clown.”
Another fan commented:
“LeBron proving age is just a number once again.”
One fan tweeted:
“Jabari just found out why most guys aren’t jumping at that.”
Some fans were not impressed with the dunk after seeing James leak out again to leave his teammates to play defense. The 41-year-old has received some backlash for his penchant for running back early for some easy baskets while his teammates battle for the ball. James’ critics pointed out that the veteran was well ahead of Smith, who had no chance of blocking the shot.
While others ripped LeBron James, many were still appreciative that the 41-year-old veteran still has the legs for a rim-rattling slam. The fans who loved the play did not mind James leaking ahead to get an advantage in transition.
James’ dunk was the highlight of a nip-and-tuck showdown that ended with the Lakers on top 29-28 after the first quarter.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic Going Toe-To-Toe Against Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. In First Half
The first half of the Lakers-Rockets showdown was an epic battle between LeBron James and Luka Doncic against Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. For one quarter and a half, the players exchanged superb plays in the closely contested game.
With 3:57 left in the second quarter, Doncic already had 20 points, two assists and one rebound. James added four points, two rebounds and one assist.
Durant led the Rockets with 11 points and three rebounds, while Smith added 11 points and four rebounds.
In the last Rockets-Lakers meeting, Houston embarrassed LA 119-96 in front of a sell-out crowd at Crypto.com Arena. The rematch has been a different story as both have been trading excellent plays on both ends.
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