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The game exploded in the third quarter when James appeared to elbow Pistons star Isaiah Stewart to the side of the head as they contested a rebound on a second free-throw attempt.

The contact sent Stewart stumbling backwards.

When he regained his feet, he immediately charged at James before players from both teams could jump in between the two.

A seething Stewart was escorted away by security and teammates, but broke free of their clutches and made a second charge at James before he was again stopped short of reaching the Los Angeles star.

He was seen staring at James after the incident with a murderous expression as blood poured down the right side of his face.

When the dust finally settled, Stewart and James were both tossed out of the game and were marched to their locker rooms.

Russell Westbrook was also issued with a technical foul for his role in the melee.

Replays showed just how close it came to becoming an all-in-brawl.

A fan video from inside the stadium showed another side of the madness.

It is just the second time in his career that James has been ejected from a game.

The crowd was scathing of James as he calmly made his walk off the court with boos echoing around the arena.

There have been suggestions James may have attempted to apologise to Stewart when he first turned around following the contact before Stewart snapped and tried to attack the 36-year-old four-time NBA MVP.

James’ All-Star teammate Anthony Davis also said after the game the former Miami and Cleveland forward had been trying to apologise in the brief moment before Stewart lost his cool.

“Everyone in the league knows LeBron is not a dirty guy,” he said.

He said James’ initial reaction was to turn around and say “my bad” to Stewart.

NBA fans appear divided over James’ elbow, with replays appearing to show a deliberate second arm movement action to make contact with his rival’s head.

James is now facing a possible suspension.

It was just his second game back for the Lakers after he missed eight games as a result of an abdominal injury.

With the confrontation leading to an explosion of noise from inside Little Caesers Arena, Detroit’s home stadium, the local microphone announcer could be heard begging fans to remain in their seats as at least one fan ran onto the court to try and get involved in the confrontation.

Outspoken NBA commentator Skip Bayless summed up the action in a post on Twitter.

“LeBron popped Isaiah Stewart in the eye with a cheapshot elbow after they got tangled up, drawing blood. It definitely WAS a flagrant 2. Stewart wanted to kill him. Took 10 minutes for teammates to restrain him. LeBron needs postgame protection,” he wrote.

James had 10 points at the time of his ejection with the Lakers trailing 78-76.

The heated game continued to simmer after James had been bounced with the Lakers edging in front in the final minutes, thanks to the heroics of Anthony Davis, who had 30 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers won the thriller 121-116, having come back from 12 points down early in the second half.

The souring relationship between the 25-year-old and his NBA franchise has dominated headlines for several months and threatens to drag on deep into the 2021/22 season.

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Simmons skipped the entire pre-season after he was heavily criticised for the team’s Eastern Conference playoffs elimination, as coach Doc Rivers and All-Star teammate Joel Embiid called his performances into question.

Simmons made it clear in the off-season he wants to be traded away from the 76ers, despite having four years and $200 million remaining on his contract, but a suitable trade has yet not been found.

Last month, Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey warned the saga could drag on for four years.

“Would you rather eliminate what people perceive to be a distraction, or would you rather have better playoff odds? I’ll take playoff odds,” he told 975 The Fanatic.

“Whatever we have to deal with that helps the Philadelphia 76ers win the title, we’ll do it.”

Speaking to SEN Breakfast this week, Bogut rubbished Morey’s remarks, saying he “doesn’t believe” the team is OK with the saga going on for years.

“The further it goes, the worse it gets for both parties to be honest,” Bogut said.

“The closer they get to trade deadline, his value gets lower and lower because once the trade deadline (February 10) passes, then what are they going to do?

“Philly’s trying to push for a playoff, potential championship run — Joel Embiid’s not getting any younger. They can arguably flip him for someone that can help them get over the line to that championship right now.

“Daryl Morey, the GM, is posturing that if he has to keep him (Simmons) for four years, he will. I don’t believe that for a second.

“And then on the flip side, Ben needs to play basketball. He has not played an NBA game for six months, and it could end up being a year if he doesn’t get traded.”

Simmons eventually ended his off-season exile and returned to Philadelphia but was then kicked out of practice, suspended and fined. That was until the Aussie said he was suffering from mental health issues, at which point the Sixers offered him support and reinstated his salary.

That changed again when Simmons was reportedly fined $487,000 for missing last week’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

At the heart of the unpleasant situation is suggestions from some within the team that Simmons is either faking his mental health condition — or the team is acting with absolute disrespect towards a player who needs help.

On Wednesday, NBA legend Charles Barkley labelled Simmons a “jerk” over his messy divorce with the 76ers.

The 58-year-old said on TNT’s Inside the NBA it was time for the Sixers to “kick his a**”.

“This dude has done everything he can to not to be re-recruited,” Barkley said.

“They started off the season begging him to come back. So they have massaged him.

“They wanted to go see him. He said, ‘Don’t come see me’. He came and then he acted like a jerk in practice. They wanted him back. Then, because he wanted to get paid, he came back and, as I said, he started acting like a jerk and they kicked him out.

“They gave him another chance. They said, ‘OK, you said you’ve got some issues’. He said, ‘No, I don’t want to see your guys’. They started fining him again. Now he’s back.

“They’ve bent over backwards to kiss this dude’s a**. Now they’ve started kicking his a**. There’s only two. You kiss somebody’s a** or you kick somebody’s a**. It’s time to kick his a**.”

Meanwhile, the Sixers’ treatment of Simmons has been branded “unconscionable” by senior ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst.

The veteran journalist said he “can’t believe” how the team has acted in devaluing him as a player and person.

“I’m not so sure I’ve ever seen a player more devalued by his own team than Ben Simmons and it goes on to this day,” Windhorst told Sportsnet’s Eric Smith and Paul Jones earlier this week.

“What they’ve done since then has been unconscionable, the way they’ve devalued him. And I just don’t understand why a guy like (76ers basketball boss) Daryl Morey, who’s one of the smartest guys in the league, would condone the over and over and over devaluing of this guy.

“It’s not admirable (Simmons trying to get out of his contract early), we can all see that. But the stuff that they (the 76ers) have done to him and now basically questioning whether or not he has mental health problems — that’s essentially what they’re saying, they’re basically calling him a faker — I just can’t believe they’ve behaved this way.

“Forget about what it is on an individual, personal basis — it’s just bad business.”

During an episode of Inside the NBA, Barkley and his TV colleagues discussed new footage of New Orleans star Williamson rehabbing on the court prior to the Pelicans’ home loss to the New York Knicks on the weekend.

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“It looks like me and Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) had a baby,” Barkley said, which sparked a roar of laughter among the panel.

As Shaquille O’Neal joked, “I quit”, Barkley added that Williamson is “eating good in New Orleans”.

For reference, O’Neal is a giant at 2.16m and 147kg, while Barkley is over 100kg and nearly 2m tall.

Barkley stressed that “somebody has got to be a grown person down in that relationship (in New Orleans) and say, ‘You got to get in shape’.”

The former No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft appears to have put on some kilos while recovering from a surgically repaired right foot fracture he suffered in the off-season.

Pelicans Vice President of basketball operations David Griffin had said at a media day in September that Williamson would be ready for the start of the regular season.

Days before New Orleans’ home opener on October 20, Griffin said doctors were still monitoring the healing of the bone in Williamson’s foot — noting that he’s had no setbacks in his recovery.

Earlier this week, Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Williamson will be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks. The attention about his return, though, has been focused on his weight.

“I’m joking and I’m serious,” Barkley said, recalling a moment in his career when Moses Malone – his former Philadelphia 76ers teammate in the 1880s – said he was “fat and lazy”.

As a result, he “started to cry a little bit”, but thought of it “as a turning point” in his career.

“He’s already had surgery on his legs, now he’s got a broken foot,” Barkley said about Williamson’s past injuries, including a torn right meniscus and a right knee injury he suffered while playing at Duke college in February 2019.

“He’s going to have to learn, even when you’re hurt you’re going to have to control your eating. When guys get hurt and they come back, you’re trying to get in shape. And if you’re putting all that stress on your knees and feet, you’re just going to keep getting hurt.

“I know he’s got a lot of power … but you’re not going to win if he’s always hurt.”

Inside the NBA co-host Kenny Smith added: “He’s great, skilled player, but that is not basketball shape. That’s not the guy we’ve seen fly though the air with the greatest of ease.”

This story first appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Reporters spotted some explosive details in his training behaviour during the session, which was the first time media outlets were allowed to film Simmons in action since the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

The Sixers have told reporters Simmons will hold his first press conference since returning to the team on Wednesday (AEDT) ahead of the team’s NBA season-opener against New Orleans on Thursday.

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In the aftermath of the season-ending loss to Atlanta in last season’s playoffs, Simmons has been pushing for a trade away from the Sixers with four years and $AUD200 million still remaining on his contract. But Philadelphia hasn’t been able to come to terms with another team, unwilling to part with Simmons unless offered an attractive trade package in return.

Coach Doc Rivers has repeatedly said he wants Simmons to play for the team this season and is actively trying to convince Simmons to stay, despite the Australian demanding to be traded.

Reporters have now exposed exactly where Simmons is at in his trade stand-off with the 25-year-old completing Tuesday’s practice session with his phone in his pocket and some questioning his commitment.

A video captured by Philadelphia TV sports presenter Jamie Apody also captured Simmons snubbing the team’s final huddle and “hands in” moment before being the first player to head to the locker room at the end of the session.

The fact that he trained in trackpants with his phone did not go unnoticed.

It is perhaps yet another sign of how broken the relationship is.

Simmons only returned to the 76ers last week, reportedly without telling the team, on the back of being fined more than $1 million for missing the side’s pre-season camp.

Simmons hadn’t spoken to his coach for two months prior to his return.

Despite the questions about his training, Sixers teammates and Rivers continue to speak flatteringly about the Melbourne product.

Rivers said he was optimistic Simmons will re-capture his chemistry with the team.

“It’ll grow, it’ll come back,” he said.

“You see a little bit at a time and way more today than yesterday. And it’s just gonna keep getting better. I’ve been in this situation before, this is how it works.”

Rivers is still uncertain if Simmons will play in the season-opener.

Sixers young talent Tyrese Maxey also said of Simmons: “Friendships are bigger than basketball. Ben’s been a friend since before I got drafted”.

There were reports Simmons was prepared to sit out the season if a trade couldn’t be arranged, but the heavy financial penalties of continuing to hold out were starting to bite and he came back to Philly — where he will at least start the season, if not finish it as a trade remains his priority.

Rivers spoke about Simmons’ presence at his first practice of the season earlier this week and denied there was any awkward energy in the room.

“It was good,” Rivers said. “Overall, he was in and out. It was not a great practice — not because of Ben, more because of taking a day off and having three days before the first game,” Rivers said.

“But overall, it was good today.

“We just introduced (Simmons) like we always do when a new guy comes back or the old guys comes back. We jokingly did it. We did it with Tobias (Harris) as well, because he’s been on vacation and Matisse (Thybulle) as well.

“But as I told you before, the players pretty much welcome guys back.”

As for whether Simmons would be reintroduced to the Philadelphia locals — who have every reason to throw shade at the three-time All-Star over his off-season drama — at a home game, or if he’ll make his return on the road, Rivers said he’s “not even thinking about that”.

“I’m just trying to get him back comfortable and integrated,” Rivers said. “There’s no game plan there. I can tell you that.

“When he’s ready, he’ll play.”

“When I heard it, I was very disappointed, and it’s ridiculous,” Kanter said in a recent interview with CNN.

“Obviously, LeBron James, he’s one of the faces of the league, and he should be the first one to go out there and say, ‘Listen, everyone. I got the vaccine, and I’m encouraging everyone — my community, everyone, basketball fans, non-basketball fans, sports fans — are just going out there and get this vaccine so we can save other lives’.”

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James’ comments came late last month during his LA Lakers media day interview when he confirmed that he was vaccinated but added that he had “scepticism” before ultimately deciding to receive the vaccination. He also said that it’s “not my job” to serve as an advocate for others to likewise become fully vaccinated.

“We’re talking about individuals’ bodies,” James said. “We’re not talking about something that’s political or racism or police brutality, things of that nature. We’re talking about people’s bodies and wellbeing.

“So I don’t feel like, for me personally, that I should get involved in what other people do for their bodies and their livelihoods.”

The NBA will not require vaccinations for players, according to ESPN, though 95 per cent of players have reportedly been vaccinated as of September 30. Protocols for unvaccinated players include daily testing, and those in New York and San Francisco could miss home games — and game checks — due to stricter vaccination requirements locally.

“I hope (James) can educate himself about this vaccination and inspire and encourage other people around him,” Kanter said.

Kanter, who formerly represented the New York Knicks, signed a deal in August to return to the Boston Celtics, the team he played for that traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers last November. He spent three seasons in New York with the Knicks — arriving via the acquisition that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder — but eventually fell out of the starting line-up and was waived in February 2019.

Kanter appeared in 72 games with the Trail Blazers during the 2020-21 season, making 35 starts and averaging 11.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

This story first appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Philadelphia’s head coach Doc Rivers appeared on ESPN’s First Take and made one thing clear about the team’s estranged star point guard: “We want him back.”

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Although Simmons is still on the roster and has four years left on his $AUD240 million max contract, the 25-year-old reportedly has no desire to continue playing for the Sixers.

On Wednesday, it was reported Simmons will not report to training camp next week, and that he does not want to play in a Sixers uniform ever again.

Rivers confirmed on First Take that Simmons met with the Sixers front office, including himself, to inform the team he wanted a trade.

“Yeah, I mean it was a good conversation and he gave us reasons which we obviously didn’t agree with,” Rivers said.

“We’re always going to do what’s best for the team, but I can tell you up front, we’d love to get Ben back and if we can’t we’re going to try to do that. Ben has a long contract. It’s in our hands and we want him back.”

Rivers went on to say that the Sixers will try to fix the broken relationship with communication. In early August, it was reported that Simmons “cut off communication” with most of the Sixers organisation — and that any exchanges were being handled by his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

“We’re going to try (to get him back) and if it doesn’t work, it’s not going to be for us not trying to get it right,” Rivers said.

The rift between Simmons and the Sixers has played out since June, when the All-Star point guard put on a historically poor performance in the 2021 playoffs, specifically on offence and at the free-throw line.

After Philadelphia’s Game 7 loss to Atlanta in June, Rivers came under fire for his response to a reporter’s question: “Do you think Ben Simmons can still be a point guard for a championship team like the one you guys want to become?”

At the time, Rivers said: “Yeah, I don’t’ know that question or the answer to that right now.” His response created a narrative that he didn’t believe the Sixers could win a title with Simmons.

While on First Take, Rivers “wanted to correct” the situation, and said: “We can win a title with Ben Simmons. I just believe that.”

He explained, “The question was asked about Ben (and) it was the first question after we lost Game 7. That had nothing to do with Ben, I said I’m not answering that c**p. What disappointed me, was being portrayed that I said I don’t think we can win with Ben.”

In the postseason Simmons shot 34.2 per cent from the free-throw line. In the seven-game series against Atlanta in the second round, Simmons attempted just three shots in the fourth quarter — none of which occurred in the series’ final four games.

Rivers said the Sixers hired a free-throw coach and a shooting coach to work with Simmons.

“It’s about free throws. We need to improve on that … and we want to get him in the gym and get better at the free throw line,” Rivers said.

This story first appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Middleton had a playoff career-high 38 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who evened the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final at 3-3.

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The Bucks changed up their defensive strategy and Middleton had the hot hand while shooting from the perimeter to push the series to a decisive game seven.

“We were solid all night,” Middleton said.

“We just tried to make it tough on (Kevin) Durant and (James) Harden and we were able to do that.

“The playoffs are about adjusting. We had a little lead at the half and we were able to keep it and extend it in the fourth quarter.”

Game seven will take place on Sunday AEST in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, where the Nets have won all three games.

Middleton shot 11-for-16 from the floor, five-for-eight from three-point range and 11-of-12 at the free throw line.

After rallying behind a monster performance by Durant on Tuesday, the Nets failed to win in the first potential close out game of the series.

“We didn’t do well tonight offensively,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “We were out of rhythm and out of sync for the entire game.

“Defensively we weren’t great either. Just not a great game from us, and now we got a game seven on our home court.”

READ MORE: Simmons blasted after all-time ‘choke job’

Milwaukee’s win not only keeps their season alive, but also the streak of the home team winning every game of the series so far.

“It will be win or go home. That is what the players and fans love about it,” Middleton said.

Brooklyn had often-injured James Harden for game six, but lost all-star guard Kyrie Irving during the game four loss. Irving did not travel with the team to Wisconsin due to the sprained right ankle he suffered in-game last weekend.

After making just one basket in game five and finishing with five points, Harden improved in game six scoring 16 points — still well below his average of 24.6 points.

Durant, who was coming off a remarkable 49-point performance while playing every minute of game five, finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds.

Instead of playing the entire game, this time he logged 40 minutes of floor time.

— AFP