LeBron James Vividly Recalls 2021 Isaiah Stewart Altercation

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LeBron James Vividly Recalls 2021 Isaiah Stewart Altercation

Originally posted on Fadeaway World | By Siddhant Gupta | Last updated Jul 20, 2026 9:48 PM ET

LeBron James has spent a large part of his career developing a reputation for being clean. Although many have accused him of flopping, James hasn’t necessarily drawn much flak for being dirty or getting into fights. While he has maintained this image for the better part of 23 years, one incident back in 2021 involving Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart stands out.

In the early days of the 2021-22 season, LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart got into a heated altercation during a Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons game in Detroit. Given how the benches cleared after Stewart charged at James, matters escalated quickly.

During a live episode of “The Shop” recently, James opened up about what was going through his mind at the time. While recalling his initial reaction to seeing the Pistons’ big man chase him, the 41-year-old shared:

“I got red carded… He was chasing the s–t out of me, and I’m like, ‘Somebody get this big motherf—er up off me. That’s a big boy.’ … Yeah, that’s a big boy. Aye, y’all better make sure he don’t get me.”

James’ casual reaction doesn’t reveal much about the situation. However, it is safe to say that the altercation between the then-Lakers’ superstar and the Pistons’ center was heated.

During the third quarter of the game between the Lakers and the Pistons, LeBron James inadvertently struck Isaiah Stewart in the face while battling for a rebound. This was immediately ruled a foul, but the hit left a cut above Stewart’s eye, which started bleeding shortly after.

The two were seen engaging in a heated exchange right after the foul, but with teammates separating them, the situation remained relatively tame. Unfortunately, after Stewart noticed the blood, the big man went into a frenzy as he charged at the Lakers’ superstar.

Although several Pistons players and coaching staff got in the way to contain him, Stewart appeared ready to bulldoze through them to get to James.

In the aftermath of the incident, both James and Stewart were ejected from the game. Additionally, both were also suspended, with Stewart serving a two-game suspension and James earning the first suspension of his NBA career.

The altercation between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart shone a fairly harsh spotlight on the Pistons’ center, primarily because of how he reacted and escalated the situation. Sadly, in hindsight, it also provided a glimpse into his violent tendencies.

Stewart has unfortunately cultivated a reputation for being relatively hotheaded. Last season, he famously engaged in a verbal exchange with former Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, making some rash threats in the process. Additionally, the big man was also involved in an ugly fight featuring multiple players during a game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Although Isaiah Stewart was often lauded for his fierce loyalty to his teammates, recent reports indicated that he had multiple heated conversations with the Pistons’ coaching staff during the postseason. Given how his temper affected the team and its personnel, it would appear that Detroit was forced to make a business decision, even though his departure would have a drastic impact on the roster.

Now, nearly five years since the fight between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart, matters seem to have cooled down. Although James didn’t seem too concerned with the incident, it is clearly one of the more memorable moments of his career, albeit for the wrong reasons.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

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