The Los Angeles Lakers were not happy with Solomon Hill after his dive to the court resulted in an injury to superstar LeBron James.
Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder both called out Hill for what they deemed was a dangerous play, resulting in the ankle injury to James — the MVP frontrunner.
“I really don’t feel like it was a loose ball play, and he had to go through his leg to get the ball,” Harrell told reporters after the game, per Silver Screen & Roll. “I don’t know how you feel like that’s a loose ball and go after a loose ball, but like I said, that’s neither here nor there, man. I don’t think it’s one of those plays where he tried to do it, but at the end of the day I still feel like it’s one of those things that you’ve got to look at, because it was a crucial point in the game.
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“Yes, he [LeBron] still hit a big-time three in the corner on the next play, but at the end of the day, those are the things you’ve got to look at. I feel like we’re quick to look at it when a guy is shooting a three, so why can’t we look at it in that instance right there? So that’s all I’m saying about that.”
Schroder had a similar take to Harrell, as did many people on Twitter that flooded Hill’s inbox. The Hawks forward responded to the accusations with a tweet.
“Would never disrespect the game and take a player out purposely,” Hill said. “He knows that. That’s all that matters to me. Praying for a speedy recovery. #riptothementionstho #moredmsthansaweetie.”
would never disrespect the game and take a player out purposely… he knows that. that’s all that matters to me. praying for a speedy recovery. #riptothementionstho #moredmsthansaweetie
LeBron James Speaks Out After Injury
James has reportedly escaped any major damage, with MRI coming back negative on his ankle. However, James suffered a high-ankle sprain and he’ll be out indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who added that James could be out an extended period of time.
A high-ankle sprain can take anywhere from six weeks to three months to heal, per Healthline. That being said, James is a different beast when it comes to his body, although he’ll make sure he’s absolutely ready to go to not risk further injury.
James shared his thoughts on the injury on Twitter following the game.
“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates! I’m hurt inside and out right now,” he wrote. “The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”
Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates! I’m hurt inside and out right now. 🤦🏾♂️. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left. #ThekidfromAKRON🤴🏾
The Lakers are already without Anthony Davis, who is dealing with calf and Achilles issues. He’ll miss at least another week as he progresses in his recovery.
James is averaging 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists this season and sit second in the overall NBA standings, despite Davis having missed an extended period of time.
With the two superstars on the sideline, much more will be asked of Schroder, who will be relied upon to orchestrate the offense.
“Obviously, it’s tough to make up for the absence of Anthony Davis, but when you have a guy like Dennis Schroder that can really compete on both sides of the ball, he’s been vital since he’s come back,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “Since he’s come back from the health and safety protocols, I think our record is pretty good and he’s been an important piece of that.”
Kyle Kuzma Paints Scary Scene After Injury to James
James takes great care of his body, spending millions to stay in the best form possible. It’s helped him play over 1,500 games without missing significant time, outside of the groin injury that sidelined him for 17 consecutive games during his first year in LA.
Kyle Kuzma has seen James get banged up before on the court but he had never seen something like what happened on Saturday, with James writhing in pain on the court and yelling.
“I haven’t seen him scream and scowl like that probably ever,” Kuzma told reporters in the postgame.
Kyle Kuzma on LeBron’s injury: “I haven’t seen him scream and scowl like that probably ever.”
Despite things looking very grim, James did manage to check back into the game very shortly. He hit a 3-pointer before heading to the locker room, which gave him 10 points on the nigh, extending his record streak of consecutive games with at least 10 points to 1,036.
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Hawks’ Solomon Hill Responds After Being Called Out by Lakers