LeBron James tears open sleeves on jersey in frustration during Cavs-Knicks
From the moment the NBA and Adidas introduced short-sleeved jerseys during the 2013-14 season, LeBron James was not a fan. It seems he hasn’t warmed to them very much in the years since.
He said as much prior to the Christmas 2013 showcase game during which he and his then-Miami Heat teammates were set to wear them, before later changing his tune, as the league office sent out statements about how the NBA “would never want players to feel restricted.” James renewed his complaint less than three months later, though, proclaiming himself “not a big fan of the jerseys” after shooting 6-for-18 during a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and saying that “every time I shoot it feels like it’s just pulling right up underneath my arm.”
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“I have to figure something out the next time I have to wear them,” James said, according to ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst.
He didn’t have to wear them once last season, his first year back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he did have to don the sleeves during Wednesday’s nationally televised matchup with the New York Knicks, as the Cavs unveiled one of their three new alternate uniforms. After opening the game 4-for-10 from the field, including 0-for-2 marks from both 3-point range and the foul line, a frustrated James took it upon himself to do a little impromptu tailoring as he came back down the court on defense:
Somehow, I don’t think LeBron’s going to wind up saying he actually doesn’t mind the sleeves this time.
ESPN’s broadcast reported that James later took scissors to the sleeves in the next timeout to try to clean up the rips and finish the job of letting the guns out. This seems like the kind of thing that would result in LeBron having to get a new jersey — y’know, like Darko Milicic, Josh McRoberts and Marc Gasol did after ripping their jerseys — but apparently not.
James isn’t the first player to complain about the sleeved jerseys — not by a long shot — but I’m pretty sure he is the first one to tear them apart in the middle of the game, which is the sort of statement that you’d expect the league to address in some way.
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“Ultimately, if the players don’t like them, we’ll move on to something else,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck way back in March of 2014.
Well, Mr. Commissioner, despite teams’ persistence in introducing new sleeved alternates, I think it’s safe to say that at least one pretty important player really, really doesn’t like them, and just told the entire basketball-watching world as much on national television. Maybe that’s something worth exploring, if not immediately, then at the very least when the other guys take over the league’s apparel deal.
James didn’t exactly start setting the world on fire after making his preferred alterations, but he did turn it on as the game wore on, scoring 15 points after making the change. You’d figure there’d be a bit more wind resistance and drag with that fabric flapping in the breeze, but as it turns out, LeBron was still able to move quickly and get off the floor a little bit:
LeBron steals & SLAMs to put @Cavs up 4 in 4th of #NYKatCLE on ESPN. #NBARapidReplay https://t.co/MxlCgfiUkL
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2015
Mo Williams finds the cutting LeBron James for the SLAM! #NYKatCLE #NBARapidReplay https://t.co/N4OheCtiYO
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2015
James finished with a game-high 23 points on 9-for-23 shooting, five rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block in 35 minutes, leading Cleveland back from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to earn a 96-86 win over the visiting Knicks. Mo Williams added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Kevin Love (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (10 points, 13 rebounds) each chipped in double-doubles for the Cavs, who outscored New York 24-0 in fast-break points and improved to 4-1.
Carmelo Anthony continued to struggle with his shot, missing 12 of his 18 attempts from the field on his way to a team-high 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 37 minutes. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis battled foul trouble throughout, but scored 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting with four rebounds, two blocks, two steals and an assist in 20 1/2 minutes for the Knicks, who fell to 2-3 on the season.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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