LeBron James On Posterizing Kevin Love: ‘I Hate It Had To Be Him’

The 2021-22 season hasn’t been overly kind to the Los Angeles Lakers, but the team picked up a notable victory on Monday evening. Led by a monster night from LeBron James, the Lakers went on the road and toppled the Cleveland Cavaliers by a 131-120 margin, and James energized his old home in Cleveland with a few throwback moments along the way. One such moment occurred late in the first half when James caught a pass with a head of steam and threw down a mammoth dunk over old friend and teammate Kevin Love.

Following the game, it was a celebratory atmosphere for James, who finished the night with 38 points (on 17-of-29 shooting), 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Naturally, he was prompted about the dunk that made the national rounds and, in short, he almost apologized to Love, saying that he “hate it had to be him” on the other end of the highlight.

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1506080869630373888

Obviously there is a bit of good-natured trash talk in here, but Love and James teamed up with Kyrie Irving and company for a title in Cleveland, so there is history there. James is correct that the dunk didn’t make the difference in the game, but it certainly was the most memorable play of the evening. Furthermore, it was another reminder that James is still one of the best players in the world, and it was even more appropriate that he put on a show at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.