Getty LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James may be out for the remainder of the season, but he’s making sure his presence is felt when entering the arena still. On Thursday night, James’ arrival drew even more attention than normal due to his choice of attire. The Lakers forward wore a Nipsey Hussle shirt, paying tribute to the rapper/songwriter who died late last week.
As Def Pen Hoops shows, James showed up to the game with a shirt which featured the photo from the ‘Nip Hussle the Great; Vol. 2’ album.
James joins the many athletes who have gone out of their way to pay tribute to Hussle, who was shot multiple times in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Lakers star also posted on social media after the news of Hussle’s death came to light.
The Lakers have ruled James out for the remainder of the season, a decision that was made after the team had been eliminated from playoff contention. The focus now shifts to the final games of the year while James will get some extra time off along with the offseason to gear up for 2019.
Russell Westbrook Among Players to Pay Tribute to Hussle
Along with LeBron, we’ve seen NBA players from a number of teams pay their respects in various ways to Hussle. Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook did so after becoming the second player in NBA history to post a 20-20-20 game.
After he tallied 20 points, 21 assists and 20 rebounds, a video surfaced of him stating “that’s for Nipsey,” as Hoop Central revealed.
Russ says “that’s for Nipsey” after securing his 20-20-20 game. What a moment.
Westbrook’s teammate Paul George posted on Instagram after the Thunder guard’s incredible night, both giving a shoutout to his friend and also sending respects to Hussle.
“20+20+20=60! If you know you know… this dude is fu**ing incredible! RIP NIP! ♿️♿️♿️ #LongLiveNipsey” George posted.
Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Joseph Asghedm, made an obvious impact on his peers and many around the league. Los Angeles Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell spoke about his death along with the situation as a whole, while also revealing a custom Nipsey Hussle No. 5 jersey, as Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points detailed.
“Honestly, any type of death should take a toll on anybody. Even with deaths we’ve had in the past with the Trayvon Martins, so it doesn’t have to be just rappers and celebrities. Any type of death and any form of taking a person’s life, in general, is wrong … It’s enough. At the end of the day, it’s just enough.” Harrell stated, via Azarly.
Montrezl Harrell has a Nipsey Hussle jersey hanging in his locker postgame. #Clippers
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