Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Bruce Brown of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James may have been eliminated from the playoffs but the four-time MVP is still watching everything that’s going on in the NBA postseason.
Late in Game 3 between the Nets and the Bucks, Bruce Brown “took over,” taking some bad shots down the stretch rather than putting the ball in the hands of Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving — accomplish All-Stars. It allowed Milwaukee to the much-needed Game 3 win, 86-83.
James reacted by retweeting a message from Josiah Johnson, who put up a clip from Harlem Nights, featuring Eddie Murphy.
“KD after Bruce Brown floater,” Johnson tweeted, with the video of Murphy yelling “stop it, stop it!”
KD after Bruce Brown floater
James retweeted it, writing: “Aye man WTH is wrong with you!” James later went on to call Johnson the GOAT — greatest of all time.
Bruce Brown on Late Shot: ‘I Should Have Dunked’
That’s not to say Brown had a bad game. He played a key role on defense and finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Brown said Irving told him that he should have dunked the ball.
“Kyrie was like, ‘Hey, you gotta try and dunk it, get a foul or something,’” Brown said, per The Athletic. “That’s definitely what I should have done. I had the lane and the angle too, so maybe if I did that I’d have gotten a foul call, gotten to the line. If I had taken my two steps toward the rim, I probably could’ve dunked the ball.
“I could’ve just really did a simple layup and made the shot. I made it difficult for myself just thinking too much during the shot.”
The Nets are hoping the loss is just a bump in the road. Brooklyn still has the best odds to win the title at +120, per Odds Shark.
LeBron James Enjoying Rest Following Playoff Exit
James would rather be on the court pursuing his fifth NBA title than at home tweeting about the playoffs, but the consequence of having more rest to prepare for next season is one that the soon-to-be 37-year-old welcomes.
“It’s going to work wonders for me, obviously,” James said. “During the season I don’t even talk about rest, I don’t even like to put my mind and frame into that, it makes me weak. But in the offseason, I get an opportunity to rest. We’ve got like three months to recalibrate, get my ankle back to 100% where it was before that Atlanta game, and that’s the most important thing for me.
“Everything else feels extremely well. My ankle was the only thing that was kind of bothering me… in the later stage of the season, and never fully got back to where it was before the injury,” James continued. “But I’m happy I was able to go out there and at least try to help our team win.”
As for the future, the Lakers will need to make some moves in the offseason to compete with the likes of the Nets and others so they are able to take advantage of James while he can still carry a team.
“Well, I think Rob [Pelinka] has done such a great job of constructing this team over the last few years that he will continue to do that,” James said in his exit interview. “I will have some input. He always asks for my input, has A.D.’s input. But at the end of the day, we want to continue to get better. I trust Rob, trust Kurt [Rambis], trust everyone upstairs that does their diligence and our coaching staff and things of that nature.”
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