MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The flurry between LeBron James and Ja Morant had the characteristics of two boxers trading punches with some showmanship added for flair.
Late in the second quarter of the Memphis Grizzlies' 131-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, the two stars from different generations showed why they are the leaders of their teams. James expressed appreciation for the battle between the two and what Morant brings to the league.
“The energy alone. The inspiration that he gives to the younger generation alone is huge for our league,” James said of Morant.
Near the end of the first half, Morant and James went at it, exchanging baskets, each using the “too small” sign after scores in the fray. Morant got a technical foul at one point in the battle as the crowd grew louder with each basket. A good representation of Lakers fans in FedExForum balanced the cheering Grizzlies faithful.
There was a hook from Morant and an ensuing free throw for a 3-point play with 1:24 left in the half. Then James' 8-foot jumper 20 seconds later. Another layup by James, followed 7 seconds later by another jumper by Morant that one the Grizzlies' guard so fired up that he earned the technical.
“I think I did the ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small,” Morant recalled. "He came back and did it respectfully. ...He did it, and I don't back down from nobody. I don't care who you are.
“My job was to just come back. I got my bucket, and I set the tone. My teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens. Top dog in our league. You take out the top dog, who else you fear?”
But James put the exchange in the category of mutual respect, and two of the league's top players doing their best to be better than the other, the roots of which going back to the first time they picked up a basketball.
“Just two guys from the inner city who love to compete,” James said of the battle with Morant. “That's how we all grew up, playing on the blacktop, playing outside, competing at a high level when there was no cameras around.”
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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with the referee as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) looks on in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) grabs a steal from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) assists on defense in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)
FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Two people were killed and 18 injured when a small plane crashed through the rooftop of a commercial building in Southern California on Thursday, police said.
Police got a report at 2:09 p.m. about the crash in the Orange County city of Fullerton, said Kristy Wells, a Fullerton police spokesperson.
Firefighters and police arrived on scene and battled a blaze that broke out, and evacuated surrounding businesses, Wells said.
The fire damaged the warehouse, which appeared to contain sewing machines and textile stock. The building was occupied by Michael Nicholas Designs, a furniture upholstery manufacturer, according to a sign on a door.
Ten people were taken to the hospital, while eight were treated and released at the scene, police said. There were two confirmed deaths, according to Wells.
It was not immediately known what type of plane it was or whether those injured were in the aircraft or on the ground, Wells said.
The flight-tracking website FlightAware shows a four-seat, single-engine aircraft crashed about a minute after takeoff.
Security camera footage from Rucci Forge, a wheel manufacturer across the street, shows a fiery explosion and a large plume of black smoke as the plane appeared to dive into the building tilted on its side.
The plane crashed near the Fullerton Municipal Airport, a general aviation airport in Orange County that is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Disneyland. It has one runway and one heliport. Metrolink, a regional train line, is nearby, and flanks a residential neighborhood and commercial warehouse buildings.
Another four-seat plane crashed into a tree a half-mile from the airport last November while making an emergency landing right after it had taken off, the Orange County Register reported. Both people on board suffered moderate injuries.
Fullerton is a city of about 140,000 people some 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.
Associated Press writer Amy Taxin contributed from Orange County.
Workers stand near police lines at the scene of a small plane crash, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
People stand outside of a building where a plane crash occurred Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Firefighters tend to people after a plane crashed through the roof of a building near Fullerton airport on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/The Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters load a person onto an ambulance after a small plane crashed into a commercial building on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Firefighters respond to a commercial building where a small plane crashed on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A firefighter enters a building where a plane crash occurred Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
A woman is carried on a stretcher near the site of a plane crash, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Firefighter walk down a ladder outside a building where a plane crash occurred Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Firefighter stage outside a building where a plane crash occurred Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Firefighters stage outside a building where a plane crash occurred, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Emergency vehicles are lined up near the site of a plane crash, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Fullerton, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
