The Los Angeles Lakers have been enjoying a strong run this season, sitting comfortably at 34–22 and looking like a serious playoff contender.
However, Sunday night did not go as planned. The Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics, and one moment involving LeBron James quickly went viral on social media.
LeBron James Was Not Happy with the Officiating of Sunday’s Game
During the game, James went up for a layup, and the ball seemed to be heading straight into the basket. But Neemias Queta of the Celtics jumped up, blocked it, and eventually prevented the ball from going in. The ball then went straight to Jaylen Brown, and just like that, the possession was gone.
Now, James was not happy about this at all. He turned to the referees and let them have it with a very NSFW message. He was clearly furious that they missed what he believed was an obvious goaltending call.
“Bro, you gotta f*****g call that, he hit the f*****g backboard,” James said to the officials.
LeBron James to the ref after a missed goaltending
“Bro, you gotta fu*king call that, he hit the fu*king backboard.” pic.twitter.com/WXmgDmlx1V
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) February 23, 2026
For those who do not know what goaltending is, it is when a defensive player touches the ball while it is on its way down toward the basket or directly above the rim. If that happens, the offensive team is automatically awarded the points.
James clearly felt that Queta did exactly that, and the refs letting it slide did not sit well with him at all.
This is not the first time the King has gone off on the referees like this. Back in 2024, during a game against the Washington Wizards, James had another NSFW message directed at the refs after they missed a foul call.
That time, though, the Lakers won the game. This time around, the same could not be said.
James really did try his best, finishing with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Luka Dončić also showed up, scoring 25 points and dishing 3 assists. But neither of their efforts was enough to help the Lakers win.
If you look at how the game went, the first quarter was actually pretty even. Both teams were tied at 28 points after the first twelve minutes. But then at halftime, the Celtics had already pulled ahead by 10 points.
In the third quarter, Boston scored 24 points. They just kept the pressure on. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics had the biggest lead of the night (22 points). The Lakers tried to fight back, but could not do much. The game ultimately ended 111-89 in favor of Boston.
The Lakers will now shift their focus to preparing to face the Orlando Magic on February 24.
