One of LeBron's Rebounds Should Have Been Credited to Ben Wallace

The 52-point, 10 rebound, 11 assist show that LeBron James put on for the fine people of New York on Wednesday was spectacular any way you slice it -- even if he really finished one rebound shy of that elusive triple double after all. While the MSG scorekeeper did indeed credit LeBron with 10 rebounds, check out this clip of number nine, which actually was hauled in by Ben Wallace.

Wallace clearly got that rebound: he had it controlled with one hand, and when David Lee got a little too close, he flipped it to LeBron. You can even hear Mike Breen say "Wallace -- the rebound," before Clyde Frazier looks at his stat monitor and sees that the scorekeeper gave it to James.

This takes nothing away from LeBron's performance; it was completely off the charts, especially considering that he was battling a leg cramp off and on in the second half. James has accomplished plenty in his career, and he'll accomplish a lot more before he's through. All I'm saying is, let's not give him credit for something like a triple double when he really didn't earn it on his own.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-05-2009 @ 12:54AM

David said...

If I were the official scorer I would have given Wallace the rebound, but this isn't the egregious mistake that I expected to see upon watching the video (based on your description). Wallace never actually squeezed the ball.

Official scorers make iffy calls like this all the time. I don't think we should be in the business of cherry picking those calls and declaring peoples double doubles or triple doubles to be invalid after the fact.

It was a triple double.

2-05-2009 @ 1:09AM

ostatebucksvp79 said...

ah... who cares. no big deal, Ben doesnt care as long as the squad wins.

2-05-2009 @ 2:02AM

hnic said...

Actually that looked like Lebron got the ball and passed it to Wallace. It was the right call.

2-05-2009 @ 10:34AM

Bryan said...

Actually, it didn't. It was the wrong call. DB.

2-05-2009 @ 11:55AM

firephantom said...

Could there possibly be a dumber discussion?

2-05-2009 @ 2:21PM

The Truth said...

First of all, whoever wrote this is an even worse scorekeeper. Lebron had 11 assists, not 10. Boo this.

2-06-2009 @ 1:52AM

jrdava said...

THAT WAS CLEARLY BEN WALLACE'S REBOUND!
LBJ SAID HE'S NOT LOOKING AT HIS STATS BUT IF KOBE DIDN'T SCORE 61 HE WOULD NOT PUSH HIMSELF CRAMPING UP TO GET 52. IN FACT HE STILL CHASED THE BALL AND GOT THE REBOUND TO GET THAT 10TH REBOUND (THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 9TH) EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS THE GAME WAS OVER

2-06-2009 @ 9:44AM

jwhajh said...

If you don't secure possession, it's not a rebound. The first to control the ball is the rebounder, not ther first to touch it.

2-07-2009 @ 11:55AM

matspongebob0425 said...

I believe that Ben Wallace never had full possesion of the ball. It looks like he tapped the ball twice and Lebron took it. The rebound should go to LBJ but who really cares.