NBA center Isaiah Stewart said he believes the hit in the face from superstar LeBron James that busted open a cut over his right eye was deliberate.
Stewart, a player for the Detroit Pistons, was suspended for two games when he repeatedly tried to break through restraints to try to fight James during the melee in their game last week. James was suspended for one game and levied a heavy fine for the reckless elbow swing to Stewart’s face on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, which caused blood to gush from Stewart’s cut.
“I watched the film,” Stewart told Sports Illustrated. “Me, personally, like I said, I didn’t feel like it was an accident. But this is my last time addressing it. My main focus right now is on my team and my teammates, getting back to playing basketball …
“I’m not going to let that define who I am. I’m going to let what Detroit drafted me for define who I am and the way I play basketball,” Stewart added.
Even James believed that he needed to be removed from the game.
“It warranted an ejection because of what happened after that,” James said. “Having me still in the game, the excitement of the fans, what could possibly happen after that. But a suspension, I didn’t think that was warranted, but the league made that call.”
The Pistons have been perennial bottom-feeders in the NBA and continue to trend on the decline in 2021, having lost their fifth consecutive game to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, Nov. 26. They now sport a putrid 4-15 record.
King James’ Lakers have not fared much better, having lost to the Sacramento Kings, 141-137, in double overtime on the same night to fall below .500 to 10-11.
