NBA Fans Go Wild as Denzel Washington Flexes His Legend with LeBron at Lakers Game
Now that the NBA midseason trade deadline is behind us, with some of the biggest deals seeing Anthony Davis go to the Washington Wizards and James Harden go to the Cleveland Cavaliers, basketball fans can finally settle back into a sense of “normalcy.” (Well, technically that really will come after the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, but I digress.
Anyway, on February 5, at the Los Angeles home game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Hollywood was present courtside. I’m not talking about the decades-long Lakers fan, Jack Nicholson, this time, but instead, the incomparable two-time Oscar winner, Denzel Washington. While his mere presence at a game wouldn’t usually cause a stir among NBA fans, this time was different, as observant onlookers noticed Washington do something only a legend of his stature could.
Denzel Shows Love to LeBron James
It’s hard to ignore that over the last couple of months, LeBron James hasn’t had the easiest go of it in the press. First, his record-breaking streak of being selected as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game was snapped (although he was recently selected as a reserve member). Then came the shocking ESPN story that head honcho of the Lakers, Jeanie Buss, soured on James and once considered trading him to the Clippers. And with that, rumors have been circulating that his relationship with the Lakers is essentially over, come the offseason.
Perhaps knowing all of that, and also having a longtime respect for one of the best players the league has ever seen, is the reason Washington wanted to show James some courtside love. In the video below, Washington stood up from his seat on one side of the court, walked all the way across to the other side, blowing by players, refs, other spectators, and most noticeably, security staff.
It’s this last group of people that fans seem to find most remarkable, as not one person from security attempted to stop The Equalizer actor. People seem to think only a “boss” and “legend” like Washington could get away with this type of action at a game. By the way, when Washington finally got to James, the two embraced in a hug, so it was all love.
LOL I was like where is Denzel going ???? @KingJames pic.twitter.com/gYPln2XQdK
— Asaad (@asaadkamal) February 6, 2026
Fans React to the Denzel and LeBron Embrace
Check out just a few of the comments fans left on the X (formerly Twitter) post of the video. Many users were impressed.
The coolest guy in the building pic.twitter.com/MF55CF1NQn
— David Astramskas (@redapples) February 6, 2026
Don’t know why this got me emotional. Just two stand-up black men showing love and respect for one another. Love it
— BYBK (@Biykend) February 6, 2026
I can hear his inner voice say “I’m gonna go over and talk to LeBron”
— ayisenJeff (@130Jeffp) February 6, 2026
Before he realized who it was ????
— LoudPack Da Ghost (@LoudPackDaGhost) February 6, 2026
“Who let this man over here!?” pic.twitter.com/RPoawtIPnx
Related: LeBron to Cleveland with Harden & Mitchell? Why It Likely Won't Happen