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| - FACT CHECK: Did LeBron James Send This Tweet Apologizing To Lakers Fans For Missing Free Throws?
An image shared on Facebook over 300 times allegedly shows a tweet from Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James apologizing to the team’s fans for missing free throws.
Verdict: False
The Twitter account that sent the tweet is not affiliated with James. It has since changed its name and handle.
Fact Check:
The Lakers lost a game against the Golden State Warriors Feb. 12 by a score of 117-115, according to the Associated Press. James missed the first and last of three free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining in the game, then failed to rebound the ball in time before the game ended, the outlet reported.
Shortly after the game, Facebook users began sharing a screen grab of a tweet sent Feb. 13 under the handle @KinggJamees allegedly showing James apologizing for the loss. “IM SORRY LAKER NATION, THE KID FROM AKRON MISSED THOSE FREE THROWS. I SEE THE HATE, YALL KEEP THAT SAME ENERGY WHEN WE BOUNCE BACK AND WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP CAUSE IM ACTIVATING PLAYOFF MODE,” the tweet reads.
“The King has Spoken!!! That kind if (sic) promise he did when he bring the [trophy emoji] back in L.A.,” reads the caption of one Facebook post that shared the tweet. The tweet in question used the display name “LeBron James” and featured an image of James and his family as the profile picture.
The tweet did not come from James, however. The player’s verified Twitter handle is @KingJames, and the tweet’s statement does not appear in any of his posts on any of his verified social media platforms. Such a quote from James also does not appear in stories from sports outlets such as ESPN or Sports Illustrated. (RELATED: Did Michael Jordan Say LeBron James Is ‘The GOAT In My Eyes’?)
By press time, the former @KinggJamees Twitter account‘s profile picture showed Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker, while the handle had been changed to “@MvpBooker” with the display name reading “Book.” The tweet featured in the Facebook post can still be accessed on the account as of the time of publication. The account tweeted Feb. 13 that it had “Bamboozled all of twitter” with the tweet about James and Lakers fans.
James tweeted Jan. 16, “#LakerNation I apologize and I promise we’ll be better!” The Lakers had lost their third straight game the day before to the Denver Nuggets, according to ESPN. However, James’ tweet did not explicitly mention the NBA playoffs or a particular error in the game.
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