During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-122 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns in preseason action on Thursday, rookie Bronny James was involved in a physical play that was deemed a flagrant foul.
In the second half of the matchup, James was running down the floor, attempting to defend a fastbreak drive from Suns forward Jalen Bridges.
James made contact with Bridges before he took his gather step toward the basket. He nudged Bridges with his hip, and the Suns rookie hit the floor after he took the hit.
While it was originally called a common foul on the floor, after further review, it was upgraded to a flagrant foul.
After the news about James’ flagrant foul hit the internet, many NBA fans sent a similar message to the league. Some believe they should not have upgraded the foul, with a couple of fans calling the NBA “soft.”
James ended the matchup with four points and two rebounds in 17 minutes of game action. He shot 2-of-4 from the field and helped the Lakers earn their second preseason victory. They currently hold a 2-3 record in the preseason, having beaten the Milwaukee Bucks and the Suns.
