Getty Desmond Bane guards LeBron James
Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James have apparently settled their differences.
Bane, who wears the “LeBron XX” — the 20th edition of James’ series of signature shoes with Nike — told ESPN that James approached him on January 20 during a Lakers-Grizzlies game and asked him if he needed any more pairs of his shoes.
“I felt like it was love, for sure,” Bane said. “We moved on. I think we separated and settled our differences.”
James and Bane got into it last season at Crypto.com Arena. Bane was talking a lot of smack to James, who had enough: “That’s your last time,” James yelled at Bane. “That’s your last motherf—ing time. That’s your last time disrespecting me.”
James and Bane, though, appear to be on good terms now. During the third quarter of Game 1 on April 16, James helped Bane up after the latter was called for a foul on the former. LeBron also told ESPN that it’s “super dope” Bane wears his shoes.
“Respect. Respect,” James told ESPN. “I joked about it a few years ago, like, if a guy’s wearing my sneakers I’m going to have to bust your ass and s—. Like, I’m not even in that type of energy no more, that type of space. I just think that’s super dope. And I got to send some more to him now. I got to make sure he’s a LeBron athlete now.”
Why Does Desmond Bane Wear LeBron James’ Shoe?
Bane suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his right big toe in November. He needed to find a shoe that had a stiff bottom to support his toe and James’ “LeBron XX” fit that bill.
“Once it got to the LeBron and they worked, I was like, it is what it is,” Bane said. “And they’ve been good to me, so I can’t hate too much.”
Bane averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Grizzlies during the regular season while shooting 47.9% from the field, 40.8% from beyond the arc and 88.3% from the free-throw line. The Grizzlies are the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. However, they lost Game 1 of their first-round series to James and the Lakers.
LeBron James Is Reportedly Feeling Good
James tore a tendon in his right foot in February and missed almost a month. A few doctors told the future Hall of Famer to undergo season-ending surgery, but James decided not to. While the four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP may not be 100%, he’s reportedly feeling pretty good.
“I think he’s in a really good spot,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said on the April 17 episode of The Lowe Post with Zach Lowe. “When he came back, obviously four weeks away with a torn tendon in the right foot, the first road trip they were in Houston, there was a timeout in the second quarter and he took off both his sneakers and just looked kind of to kind of be going through it and I was like, ‘Uh oh.’ Like maybe he pushed a little bit too hard, too quickly and this is something that’s going to be a recurring thing. That’s the only time that I saw any sign of — there’s been some fatigue moments where he’s getting his wind back, but that’s not something that concerns me because he’ll continue to get that back — but that was the only time that I saw, ‘Ok maybe the foot’s still there for him.’”
James, 38, had 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Game 1 against the Grizzlies.