LeBron James Blames Small Jersey for Missing a Clutch Shot in the Philippines


Nike took LeBron James on a promotional tour in the Philippines. And even though he was only supposed to “coach”, LBJ plugged himself into an exhibition game against the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team. James missed what would have been the game-tying bucket at the buzzer, and he joked that it was due to his jersey being too small. Per ABS-CBN News: “James watched his team trim a seven-point deficit to just one point, 8-9, before calling a timeout halfway through the 10-minute scrimmage and putting on a red ‘Witness’ jersey. The four-time NBA MVP then joined the collegiate stars and proceeded to wow the crowd with an array of impressive moves, including an alley-oop dunk off a feed from Ravena. But Gilas, led by Japeth Aguilar and Marc Pingris, won the game, 29-27, after James missed a potential game-tying lay-up in the dying seconds. ‘The reason I missed those last two shots is because my jersey is too damn small, so forgive me,’ said James, who also thrilled the crowd by throwing signed basketballs to the stands. Prior to the scrimmage, James also joined the collegiate stars, Gilas Pilipinas, and the national under-16 team in a skills clinic. […] Earlier, as part of his ‘Witness History’ tour, James visited the Nike Park at The Fort in Taguig City, where hundreds of fans ignored the pouring rain just to catch a glimpse of their idol. During a press conference at the Makati Shangri-La, James also promised that this will not be his last visit to the Philippines. ‘I can’t believe this is my first time here,’ he said. ‘Definitely, it’s not my last.'”