During the third quarter of Miami’s Game 3 win over the Bobcats, LeBron James was seen looking at the sideline area as he converted an uncontested breakaway slam.
That’s not intensely interesting by itself, obviously. But Bobcats owner Michael Jordan just happened to be sitting exactly where LeBron’s gaze appeared to be fixed.
It was mentioned on the broadcast at the time, and of course, James was asked about it afterward.
From Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (via HoopsHype):A lot of media outlets — mainly ESPN — are making a story out of LeBron James supposedly glaring at Michael Jordan as he drove in for an uncontested fastbreak dunk in tonight’s 98-85 win at Charlotte.
James shot that down after the game.
“No,” he said without hesitation. “Don’t start that. Absolutely not, man. Absolutely not. I was able to read (Josh) McRoberts, get a steal and push the lead back up. I absolutely didn’t look at M.J., for sure.”
As for Jordan himself, he knew coming into this series that his team had virtually no shot to win against the defending champs. Speaking at the launch of the Air Jordan XX9 in Manhattan before the series began, Jordan was congratulated on stage for his Bobcats making it to the postseason.
“I don’t know how much congratulating we should have playing Miami,” he said.
Was LeBron looking at Jordan here? Maybe not; the Bobcats bench is over there too, and it could have just been a message to his opponent. But he definitely was looking in that general direction.
