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The Los Angeles Lakers were rolling, already up 21 points over the Houston Rockets in the second quarter on Tuesday, when LeBron James took the display of dominance to another ridiculous level.
After grabbing a feed in the corner in front of the Lakers bench, James used a dummy pump to line up a 3-point pointer when he heard a voice in his ear coming from behind him. It was Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder.
“I told him to bet a Benjamin on it, so he shot,” Schroder said after Los Angeles’ 117-100 win. “He shot it and turned around and said, ‘I bet.’ Then he walked in. It’s just legendary.”
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LeBron James says Dennis Schroder bet he wouldn’t do a no-look 3 while he was filming. It also touches on comparisons to Steph Curry’s 3 pointless look.
It wasn’t just a 3 on Ben McLemore to double the Rockets 48-24 that was memorable. It was delivery. You see, James turned to Schroder to collect the $ 100 while the ball was still in the air.
“I took the bet while I was still shooting the ball,” said James, finishing with 26 points as the Lakers improved their league-best record to 9-3. “A bet is only official when you look a man in the eye, so I must have looked him in the eye, and I was able to win.”
There was an immediate appreciation for the directing by James’ teammates.
“He’s one of the greatest to play this game, and the things he does is always crazy to watch in real time,” said Kyle Kuzma.
In a sport where players learn to follow their shot from a young age, what James has been doing is not something you see too often. Gilbert Arenas once broke out on Game 3 winner. Former Lakers guard Nick Young, famously, had fire back on him when his shot was called off. And Stephen Curry, considered the greatest shooter the game has ever known, will pull it off every now and then.
“Steph [has] That’s definitely what has done him the most in our league, and when you shoot the ball as beautiful, effortlessly and precisely as Steph does, he has the ultimate ultra-green light to do it, “said James on his old nemesis in the NBA Finals. ” Because 10 times out of nine it’s okay for Steph. “
And James, who went 4 for 9 of 3 on Tuesday – coming off a 1-for-11 streak in his last two depth games – is also getting the green light. Whether it’s spinning while the balloon is in mid-flight or stepping out of the logo to let it fly, as it has done more and more frequently.
“We encourage him to beat the defenses at the top,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “There are a number of reasons for that: (A) he’s probably the best shooter on our team. And (B) they play him soft. They go under screens on him.… In terms of four-point shots that ‘he takes, he has the green light to take them because he does them. “
James’ no-look 3 made the Rockets in free fall – now 3-6 after losing four in their last five years – looking ridiculous.
“It doesn’t feel good. Of course not,” said Houston coach Stephen Silas. “They’re obviously a band together, and they’re having fun at our expense. So that doesn’t do any good at all, and we should take umbrage. It’s like they’re dancing on our pitch. We have to fight. . We have to fight. “
The Lakers bench erupted after the shot, with several of James’ teammates chasing him down the field as he returned to defense. Vogel and James said part of the team’s mission this season is to rebuild the chemistry that helped them in the championship last year. Moments like this bring the group together.
“Everyone had fun,” Schroder said. “Everyone was talking about it, even during downtime. It was just one hell of a play.”
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.
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