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ESPN Announcer Ripped for Surprising Line About LeBron James During Lakers’ Loss

Fans couldn't believe Jay Bilas said this.

Andy Nesbitt

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after missing a pass in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after missing a pass in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 1 of their first-round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, 117-95, at home on Saturday night. James had just 19 points in the loss, while Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 37 points.

Jay Bilas normally calls college basketball games for ESPN, but on Saturday night, he worked the Timberwolves-Lakers game—and he dropped a line about James that had many fans fuming.

In case you missed it, James was was knocked to the floor after attempting a shot late in the fourth quarter. He thought there should have been a foul called and could be seen yelling at the ref as play continued.

Bilas was surprised to see James jawing with the ref and said: “He’s not a complainer.”

Fans took issue with that because James has done his fair share of flopping and complaining during his career.

The Lakers will try to even the series Tuesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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