LeBron James is speaking openly after being questioned by a woman sitting on the edge of the court he called “Courtside Karen”, who was later kicked out of the Lakers and Hawks game along with three others in Atlanta on Monday.
In a viral video posted on Monday by ESPN’s SportsCenter, a woman – with her mask pulled down – can be seen at the State Farm Arena exchanging words with the Los Angeles Lakers star while aggressively pointing her finger at him.
Later, authorities expelled the woman and her husband from the court along with another man and woman, who reportedly pointed the middle finger at the players while the group was escorted out of the arena, The Athletic reported.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. NBC News was unable to verify the woman’s identity.
On a interview with SportsCenter, the Lakers star said he ended up missing his fans.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy that the fans are back in the building,” said James. “I miss that interaction. I need that interaction. We, as players, need that interaction.”
While many NBA teams banned fans from the games, some, like the Atlanta Hawks, allowed limited participation under Covid-19 restrictions.
James said he did not believe the fans should have been expelled, despite the woman pulling on her mask to yell at him.
“I don’t think taking off the mask, or whatever the case was at that moment, would hurt anyone but the people who were next to it,” said James. “I was not close enough to her, I don’t think my teammates were close enough to them. Maybe some referees, maybe, so I hope they are okay, but safety first.”
After the game, James scoffed at the incident in a tweet that quickly went viral.
“Courtside Karen was MAD MAD !!” he wrote, referring to the name that has become synonymous with women who call themselves.
According to Atlético, the Hawks have initiated an investigation into the incident.
On Monday night, James and the Lakers scored the last laugh with a 107-99 victory over the Hawks.
