Today's Lesson Learned: Never Call For The Ball When LeBron Has a Record On The Line Or He Might Turn Around And Trade You

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Let's wind the clock back a little over 36 hours ago. Thunder-Lakers late in the 3rd quarter with Los Angeles trailing in a game they needed to win. LeBron James seen dribbling the ball near the top of the key while big man Thomas Bryant gains a mismatch down low on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Bryant has about a five inch height difference and has sealed his man off creating an opportune scenario to score an easy bucket. 

What Thomas Bryant may have not realized at the time was that his teammate LeBron James was just two points away from breaking the NBA's all-time scoring record. Easy to question how he could not know that, but my man was locked in on trying to get back the lead. LeBron laughably didn't acknowledge Bryant down low, took the jump shot, banged it home, and then enjoyed a 15 minute ceremony mid-game to honor his achievement. The iconic picture that'll be remembered for the rest of time features Thomas Bryant calling for the ball down low as LeBron releases the basketball. GM LeBron saw this photograph and promptly orchestrated a trade that sent Thomas Bryant to the 1 seed Nuggets. 

I'm laughing at the thought of this man's final image on the Lakers being him calling for the ball during Bron's crowning moment. Incredible. Dude just wanted to get the rock and score. Traded. Very sad! 

Alright that's not exactly the full story or anywhere near the truth, but it's a funny coincidence at the minimum. 

No the real part is that Thomas Bryant got annoyed that someone named Anthony Davis was eating into his playing time. Arguably a way funnier way to get yourself traded. And I mean, it all worked out for him, right? You're not only done being on a Lakers team fighting every day to just sneak into the play-in games, but you're also now on the best team the Western Conference. Sure at any given moment you were one misstep by AD from him getting hurt for two months and becoming a starter again, but now you get to learn from Jokic. Might be the best thing that's ever happened to him. Or he'll complain about being stuck behind Jokic in a week.