The usually mild-mannered New Orleans Pelicans are deciding on violence this week.
The Pelicans threw shade at Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Russell Westbrook in a tweet Thursday. A Lakers fan clowned the Pelicans, who recently changed their Twitter header to a picture of teammates Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado sitting next to each other in Summer League.
“@PelicansNBA profile pic is a selfie of their players,” wrote the fan, noting that the Lakers’ Twitter header is a photo of their title banners. “take notes.”
The Pelicans hit the fan with a savage clapback, writing, “yes our players enjoy sitting next to each other rather than on opposite ends of the court.”
That is a pretty clear reference to James and Westbrook curiously sitting on completely different sides of the floor during a recent Summer League game.
Social media barbs aside, there is no love lost between the Pelicans and the Lakers, two Western Conference rivals. They linked up on the 2019 Anthony Davis blockbuster deal, creating somewhat of a rivalry. The Pelicans forward Ingram was the centerpiece of the package the Lakers sent to New Orleans, and Larry Nance Jr., another former Laker who was traded in a separate deal, is on the Pelicans now as well.
New Orleans also swept the Lakers in the 2021-22 season series, and one Pelican even appeared to disrespect James after the final meeting. Now the Pelicans are again going out of their way to disrespect James (this time over his relationship with Westbrook).
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