In the concluding moments of Game 3 of the 2016 Eastern Conference semis against the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron James dribbled out the clock to secure the win when Jeff Teague forcefully shoulder-checked the Cleveland Cavaliers star, propelling him into the crowd.
Following Draymond Green's recent headlock incident with Rudy Gobert, Teague addressed his own aggressive actions on the Club 520 podcast, admitting fault with a smile. The 35-year-old acknowledged his frustration as a sore loser and explained, "We were losing. Shit, I'm a sore loser, what the fuck? He was beating my—I ain't win a playoff game against that n***a ever. I was sick of the shit."
At the time of the shove, the Cavaliers were leading 119-108 with less than a minute left in the game. Teague shared his motivation, stating, "The motherfucking fans in Atlanta cheering for him, he running down the court. I said, 'You know what bitch, I got something for you.' Shoulder checked the shit out that n***a, he went into the stands." He recounted receiving hate mail, expressing the severity of potential consequences had LeBron been injured. This experience led Teague to delete Instagram, recognizing the intensity of the backlash.
Despite the incident, LeBron and the Cavs went on to sweep the Hawks and, ultimately, made a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors to secure their first championship in franchise history.
