Lakers: LeBron James Gives Pelicans Forward's Mother an Awesome Birthday Gift
As a NBA rookie, there's no greater thrill than having a standout performance that impacts the final score of the game. It's even better when that performance is against LeBron James.
Pelicans rookie forward Trey Murphy III scored all of his 21 points in the second half in a game that saw New Orleans overcome a 23-point first half deficit and beat the visiting Lakers. It was the second highest point total of Murphy's young career.
After the game, The Athletic's Bill Oram posted a fantastic moment involving LeBron James and Trey Murphy III. According to Oram, Murphy introduced his mother to LeBron as a birthday present.
It was a classy move from LeBron. The superstar expressed how frustrated he was with both the Lakers loss and the ankle injury he suffered in the second quarter. James lamented that the loss was “another wasted opportunity” for the team and stated that the pain in his ankle was was "horrible".
In the photo that Oram snapped, LeBron's ankle is shrouded in many layers of athletic tape.
As of Monday, LeBron was considered doubtful for the Lakers Tuesday tilt against the Dallas Mavericks due to the ankle injury. LA enters the game only a half a game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for final spot in the play-in tournament.
Sunday was a rough game and a rough night for LeBron James and the Lakers.
At the very least, LeBron still went out of his way to ensure that a NBA rookie and his mother have memory they won't soon forget.