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LeBron James was taking a nap when the NBA announced he would be suspended for the first time in his 19-year career. James struck Isaiah Stewart in the face during Sunday's game, which led to an extended altercation with Stewart escalating the situation as he discovered his face was bloodied. 

"Rob [Pelinka] called me. I missed his call," James told ESPN of the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager dialing in the bad news. "As soon as when I checked my phone and it was a missed call, I was like, 'I know I'm suspended.'

"I mean, it's some bulls---. But whatever."

James had to miss his only trip to Madison Square Garden this season.

"I was devastated," James told ESPN. "It's my favorite place in the world to play, so I was looking forward to it. But it is what it is."

James detailed that explanation after the win over Indiana.

"There was a boxout on the free throw line. His elbow got kind of high, it got me -- if you look, if you watch the film -- it got me off balanced a little bit, and his elbow lifted my arm, and I basically tried to swim move, swim down on him, on his arm," James said. "And when I swung down on his arm, he got off balance and the left side of my hand grazed his face. And I knew right away. So, I knew right away I had caught some part of his head. So, I went over to apologize to him, and obviously, you guys saw what happened after that. But definitely accidental."

James also said his case was made stronger by how Russell Westbrook got a bloody lip in Tuesday's game when hit by Quentin Grimes, and James was hit in the face by Domantas Sabonis, which required a bandage on his eyelid. 

Via Dave McMenamin/ESPN

cry more, you piece of **** human


the league will be better when you're gone.

I'm not buying this

br7knicks wrote:cry more, you piece of **** human


the league will be better when you're gone.

I don't like LeBron either, and I don't really believe him, but chill out dude.

Liar. He felt Stewart leaning on him and lashed at his face. An athlete like has body control and knows what he's doing

What a piece of garbage.

Also, he loves playing in MSG but was too scared to actually play for the Knicks and deal with the media and pressure Frauddddd

br7knicks wrote:cry more, you piece of **** human


the league will be better when you're gone.

I agree, the league got worse in his tenure. That's his legacy. Media and sponsors have created this narcissistic monster at the expense of basketball product.

That wasn’t a graze. It busted up Isaiah’s eyebrow/forehead. He gave his honest take though instead of just being apologetic and accept his punishment like a man.

Gooner wrote:

br7knicks wrote:cry more, you piece of **** human


the league will be better when you're gone.

I agree, the league got worse in his tenure. That's his legacy. Media and sponsors have created this narcissistic monster at the expense of basketball product.

The league will be in much better shape once he's gone. His narcissistic personality and I am bigger than a game demeanour is one of the reason he is one of the more hated stars ever. About time he bows out before he keeps embarrassing himself with these kind of antics.

No. It wasn't accidental.

SoulJah wrote:

Gooner wrote:

br7knicks wrote:cry more, you piece of **** human


the league will be better when you're gone.

I agree, the league got worse in his tenure. That's his legacy. Media and sponsors have created this narcissistic monster at the expense of basketball product.

The league will be in much better shape once he's gone. His narcissistic personality and I am bigger than a game demeanour is one of the reason he is one of the more hated stars ever. About time he bows out before he keeps embarrassing himself with these kind of antics.

The problem is that the league is so broken that it will be very hard to repair the damage. The basketball product is really bad, fans and players don't even understand the rules like traveling because nobody even knows what the rules are anymore. It's all about stars and making it as easy as possible for them.

NBA should be thankful for Steph Curry because he is the biggest attraction in today's NBA, he is the only one who can stop the ratings decline to some degree. He is able to attract the broader audience, not just those hipsters from twitter, and he is the one who people try to emulate, even in the NBA. People are just tired of LeBron, because he is unlikeable, becuase he is protected and empowered by the league, and his playing style is ugly to watch.

"...I basically tried to swim move, swim down on him, on his arm,"

The swimming stroke commonly known as the 'Back Hammer Fist'

Doesn't sound like LeBron is au fait with swimming.

Hans1984 wrote:No. It wasn't accidental.

I have felt tat LBJ is a sneaky dirty player for many years. His whining is insufferable and the refs give him preferential treatment.

And he is a great payer I don't know why he can't just be a great player why does he get coddled by the refs? He's the biggest flopper this side of Lance Stephenson.

basketballwacko2 wrote:

Hans1984 wrote:No. It wasn't accidental.

I have felt tat LBJ is a sneaky dirty player for many years. His whining is insufferable and the refs give him preferential treatment.

And he is a great payer I don't know why he can't just be a great player why does he get coddled by the refs? He's the biggest flopper this side of Lance Stephenson.

I don't think he's a dirty player but in this particular incident it wasn't accidental imo. Maybe he wasn't trying to cut his eye open but he certainly tried to hit him. He was suspended for it and it's time to move on.

Hans1984 wrote:

basketballwacko2 wrote:

Hans1984 wrote:No. It wasn't accidental.

I have felt tat LBJ is a sneaky dirty player for many years. His whining is insufferable and the refs give him preferential treatment.

And he is a great payer I don't know why he can't just be a great player why does he get coddled by the refs? He's the biggest flopper this side of Lance Stephenson.

I don't think he's a dirty player but in this particular incident it wasn't accidental imo. Maybe he wasn't trying to cut his eye open but he certainly tried to hit him. He was suspended for it and it's time to move on.

That's why I say "sneaky" dirty.

Lebron fast to point out fans that do something borderline but won’t own his own mistakes.

Insufferable.

Retire already.

Sorry sir. Don't believe you

Lying pos

The amount of hate on the King here is crazyy hahahah. So many fellow knick fans too.

Gary Trent Jr. got a flagrant 1 last night for contact light enough that only a mosquito would have noticed. So, with those standards, Lebron is lucky he isn't out a month.

The correct response from LeBron should have been, I need to be more careful.