LeBron James delivered a blow to the face of Isaiah Stewart on Sunday night that left the Detroit Pistons big man bloody, but the four-time NBA MVP insists there was no intention behind the ugly play.
James was getting boxed out by Stewart and struggling for position on a free throw attempt in the third quarter. His frustration appeared to get the best of him, and he drilled Stewart in the face (video here).
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed that LeBron tried to track down Stewart’s phone number after the game so he could apologize.
It was ABSOLUTE CHAOS in Detroit last night Shams.
"I'm told LeBron James did try to track down Isaiah Stewart's number post game to apologize again & let em know it was an inadvertent hit" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSOverreactionMonday #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/NLUk1A4C6Q
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 22, 2021
“I’m told LeBron James has made clear, whether it was on the court or postgame, that that was an inadvertent hit to Isaiah Stewart, that he didn’t mean to do it and it was not intentional. … I’m told LeBron James did try to track Isaiah Stewart’s number down postgame to apologize to Stewart again and let him know it was an inadvertent hit to his face,” Charania said.
Charania seems to believe that the punch was inadvertent. LeBron probably didn’t mean to cause so much damage, but it certainly looked like he intentionally swung in Stewart’s direction because he was aggravated. Both James and Stewart were ejected and could be facing further discipline from the NBA.
It’s fair to wonder if Stewart would have been in the mood for an apology. He was so irate after the play that he broke away from teammates who were trying to restrain him. Some thought he was hunting King James, but nothing came of it.
The scene was certainly an ugly one. It will now be up to the NBA to determine how inadvertent LeBron’s swing was.
