The Los Angeles Lakers continued with 21 points over the Houston Rockets in the second quarter on Tuesday, when LeBron James took the display of dominance to another ridiculous level.
After catching a feed in the corner in front of the Lakers, James used a fake pump to align a 3-pointer when he heard a voice in his ear coming from behind him. It was Lakers goalie Dennis Schroder.
“I told him to bet a Benjamin on this, so he shot her,” Schroder said after LA’s 117-100 victory. “He shot him and he came back and said, ‘Bet.’ Then he came in. It’s just legendary. “
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LeBron James says Dennis Schroder bet he won’t do a no-look 3 while shooting. He also approaches comparisons with Steph Curry’s faceless 3-pointers.
It was memorable not to just make a 3 over Ben McLemore to double the Rockets score to 48-24. It was delivery. You see, James turned to Schroder to collect the $ 100 while the ball was still in the air.
“I took the bet while I was still shooting the ball,” James said, finishing with 26 points as the Lakers improved their best league record to 9-3. “A bet isn’t official until you look a man in the eye, so I had to look him in the eye and I was able to win that.”
There was an immediate appreciation for the show by James’ teammates.
“He’s one of the best players in this game, and the things he does are always crazy to watch in real time,” said Kyle Kuzma.
In a sport where players are taught to follow their chance from an early age, what James did is not something you see too often. Gilbert Arenas once burst onto a Game 3 winner. Former Lakers goalie Nick Young, famous, had the move back on him when his shot came out. And Stephen Curry, considered to be the greatest shooter the game has ever known, will release it from time to time.
“Steph [has] he certainly did the most in our league and when you shoot the ball as nicely and effortlessly and exactly as Steph, he has the ultra-green light to do it, ”James said of the former his enemy in the NBA Finals. ” Because 10 times out of nine, it happens to Steph. “
And James, who has gone 4-for-9 since Tuesday 3 – coming out of a 1-for-11 stretch in his last deep play – also has the green light. Either it spins while the ball is in the middle of the flight or it pulls up from the logo to let it fly, as it did with increasing frequency.
“We encourage him to beat the defense,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “There are several reasons for this: (A) he is probably the best shooter on our team. And (B) he plays easily. They go under his screens … As for the” four-point distance “photos on who takes them, has the green light to take them because he does them. “
James’ No-Look 3 made the Rockets fall free – now 3-6 after losing four of their last five – they looked silly.
“He’s not feeling well. Of course not,” said Stephen Silas, a Houston coach. “They’re obviously a group together and they’re having fun at our expense. So it doesn’t feel right at all and we should look. It’s like they’re dancing on our home court. We just have to fight. We have to fight through it.”
The Lakers team erupted after the shot came in, with several of James’ teammates watching him on the field as he sprinted back into defense. Vogel and James said part of the team’s mission this season is to rebuild the chemistry that helped take them to the championship last year. Moments like this bring the group together.
“Everyone had fun,” Schroder said. “Everyone was talking about it, even during breaks. It was just a song of hell.”
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.