Saturday night at Los Angeles Lakers territory was supposed to be all about momentum. A gritty 105-99 win over the Golden State Warriors gave the Lakers their third straight victory and another vintage performance from LeBron James, who finished with 20 points and 10 assists. Instead, one late-game confrontation flipped the narrative and set social media ablaze.
A viral clip appeared to show LeBron stepping between his own teammates and longtime rival Draymond Green after a hard foul on Austin Reaves. But a closer look reveals a far more nuanced moment-one that speaks to LeBron’s leadership and his unique relationship with Green.
LeBron steps in after Draymond Green-Austin Reaves collision
With 2:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, tensions boiled over near the free-throw line. As the Warriors prepared to inbound the ball, Green shoved Reaves to the floor before the play even started. Reaves stayed down, face-first on the hardwood, as players from both teams rushed in.
Maxi Kleber immediately confronted Green, while others-including Moses Moody-attempted to de-escalate the situation. Amid the chaos, LeBron entered the fray and positioned himself with his back to Green, creating the illusion that he was shielding the Warriors veteran from Lakers players.
Video replays tell a different story. Rather than defending Green, LeBron appeared focused on calming everyone down and keeping the situation from spiraling. He repeatedly guided Gui Santos away from the officials and listened as players and referees-along with Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard-explained what had happened.
LeBron’s dunk average per game:
- 2025-26 – 1.5 dunks
- 2024-25 – 1.0 dunks
- 2023-24 – 1.2 dunks
- 2022- 23 – 1.3 dunks
- 2021-22 – 1.5 dunks
The moment was less about allegiance and more about control. LeBron wasn’t picking sides; he was preventing a technical-foul avalanche in crunch time.
Warriors-Lakers, a rivalry that turned into brotherhood
The optics fueled immediate debate because of LeBron and Green’s complicated history. Once fierce enemies during four consecutive NBA Finals between 2015 and 2018, the two are now openly close. Green frequently defends LeBron off the court, and LeBron has referred to him as a “brother.”
That wasn’t always the case. Green’s infamous foul on LeBron in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals led to a suspension that shifted the series-and ultimately the championship-toward Cleveland. Over time, however, that rivalry evolved into mutual respect.
Still, that bond doesn’t grant Green immunity on the court. Earlier in the same fourth quarter, he delivered another hard foul-this time on Jarred Vanderbilt, catching him high on a drive and sending him crashing to the floor. Vanderbilt later responded with a shove of his own, but officials quickly restored order.
Green finished the night with nine points, four rebounds, six assists, and five personal fouls-an all-too-familiar stat line. It wasn’t enough to stop LeBron and the Lakers, who closed out the win with poise.
In the end, the viral clip missed the point. LeBron James didn’t stand against his teammates. He stood for composure, leadership, and keeping the game from boiling over-another reminder that even in chaos, the King still controls the moment.
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