LeBron James’ comments about flopping were perceived by Golden State Warriors forward JaMychal Green as dishonest.
LeBron James: "We don't work on flopping. … We don't mind physical contact. We actually like the contact."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 11, 2023
James’ remarks came in response to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offering biting criticism of the controversial strategy after the Lakers’ win in Game 4 on Monday night.
One of the main reasons why Kerr spoke out about the practice no doubt stems from the large disparity in free-throw attempts in the five games played thus far in the series.
The Lakers have gotten to the foul line 118 times, converting on 95 shots. In contrast, the Warriors have only made it to the charity stripe 66 times, making 50 of their attempts.
Such criticisms are nothing new for James. Back during the 2016 postseason, when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, James took issue with a reporter’s belief that he’d flopped in order to draw a foul.
Just this season, the subject resurfaced, with former NBA player Chandler Parsons accusing James of flopping. James had previously received a warning from the league for flopping.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James received a warning for violating the league’s anti-flopping rule Feb. 12 vs. Memphis. pic.twitter.com/NovQbnBEE0
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) February 13, 2021
Of course, in many of the previous cases, the topic of James and flopping came when the Lakers (or his previous teams) were winning games. The subject was seemingly dormant when the Lakers were losing in recent years.
Like any great player, James pursues any angle within reason to help his team win games. In some cases, he’s directed his ire at opposing players he believes are flopping.
Offering a definitive description of what constitutes flopping is close to impossible. That’s because more aggressive teams may provide a different perspective than others.
For the Lakers, the Warriors’ criticism of the team and specifically James could turn out to have a positive impact. In the past, James has used barbed comments directed his way as fuel to deliver an outstanding performance.
Even though the Lakers still need only one more win in the next two games to advance in the postseason, taking care of business on Friday remains paramount. Another loss would send the game back to the Warriors’ home court for Game 7 on Sunday.
