We may know what LeBron James said to Lonzo Ball after Thursday’s night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the game, James did not want to divulge any details regarding what he said to Ball once the clock hit triple zero. He was caught on video putting his jersey over his mouth — potentially to prevent anyone watching from reading his lips — and only told the media “it ain’t y’alls business” when asked about the exchange.
But a Reddit user /u/IT-3 found video of James and Ball’s exchange from a different angle, and a microphone nearby seems to have picked up what James said. Dan Feldman of NBC Sports transcribed what he heard:
“Find your zone and just stay f—ing locked in. The media is going to ask you what I told you right now. Tell them nothing. Just be aggressive every single day. … It’s white noise to you. That’s all it is. Alright? Let’s go.”
If the transcription is correct — and it certainly sounds like it is — it’s a garden-variety veteran-to-young-player message from James. As someone who has nonstop scrutiny coming for every which way, James knows what it’s like to have exceptions of him be so high. It appears that is what he was trying to convey to Ball.
Ultimately it’s OK that James did not want to share what he said to Ball, but it’s not like his words were controversial either. It can be argued that him refusing to discuss it adds fuel to the fire that drives the media with their storytelling.