'Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!' LeBron James in furious clash with glammed-up spectator, 25, as she's hauled out of Hawks-Lakers game for pulling her mask down and screaming at the star
A glammed up spectator was ejected from an NBA game between the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers on Monday after heckling LeBron James for 'talking s***' to her husband.
Juliana Carlos, 25, has been identified as the woman dubbed 'courtside Karen' by four-time champion James after footage showed the moment she took of her mask off to point and shout at the star.
She was attending the game with her husband, Atlanta businessman Chris Carlos, when the altercation took place. The couple are thought to split their time between Atlanta and Miami.
James took to Twitter afterwards to joke about the incident that caused the game to be halted midway through the fourth quarter. He wrote: 'Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!' next to a series of emojis showing faces crying with laughter.
Juliana later posted to her Instagram account accusing Lebron of 'talking s***' to her husband. She said: 'Just got kicked out of the game for talking s**t to LeBron James for talking s**t to my f***ing husband. This is such f***ing bulls**t.'
The Lakers went on to win the game on the road, 107-99, but the heated exchange between James and the spectators in the front row stuck out to fans and commentators.
Two spectators were ejected from an NBA game between the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers on Monday after heckling LeBron James
James (center) took to Twitter after the Lakers win to joke about the 'courtside Karen' that caused the game to be halted midway through the fourth quarter
The couple involved in the fray was later identified as Juliana Carlos and her husband Atlanta businessman Chris Carlos, according to News.com.au
Juliana Carlos and her husband Atlanta businessman Chris Carlos, pictured
James posted joked about the fiery exchange on Twitter but told reporters after the game that it had been blown out of proportion
Carlos shared her account of the incident in an expletive-filled video posted to social media after being ejected.
She accused James of 'cussing out' her husband from the court: 'LeBron James looked at my husband during the game and cussed him out.
'And I stood up and I go, 'Don't f***ing talk to my husband. Talk to my husband one more time and I will f**k you up.'
Carlos said James then began verbally fighting with her, allegedly saying: 'Shut your mouth, dumb b***h.'
To which Carlos said she responded 'You shut your mouth, dumb b***h'. '
In another video posted later that day, Carlos continued disparage James, calling the player 'a f***ing p***y'.
'You're going to let a 25-year-old girl intimidate you during a game? Bye b***h.'
Juliana's husband Chris, who was also ejected from the game, is thought to run a family owned alcohol distributing company.
He has a son from a previous relationship, Instagram pictures show, and is understood to be a Hawks fan, calling basketball his 'favorite sport'.
In a couples Q&A posted to Juliana's YouTube page they reveal they met on a 'blind double date'. The couple were then engaged in Mexico.
In 2017 it was reported that Carlos bought a $25 million penthouse.
Juliana Carlos accused James of 'cussing out' her husband in a social media video
Juliana gestures as she and her party are escorted out of the arena during the game
Juliana Carlos, 25, is pictured at the game taking a selfie. Her husband Chris Carlos, far left, appears to be sat a few seats away from his wife
Carlos shared her account of the incident in an expletive-filled video posted to social media after being ejected
Juliana Carlos posted a picture of her self courtside at a different game, left, and a selfie before Monday's game began, right
Speaking to reporters after the game however, James said the fiery exchange, which appears to have started with Chris Carlos, had been blown out of proportion.
'I don't want to say he went overboard but he went a little bit out of bounds, a little too close for comfort for me,' James said, apparently referring to Chris Carlos.
'It was so close to the officials that I think the official heard it as well, what he said. And it kind of got blown out of proportion.
'And it's like sometimes on the floor, when two guys get into a scuffle or get into a little jostling and refs come in and try and break it up really fast and it looks bigger than what it really it is. That's what it pretty much was tonight.
Carlos shared her account of the incident in an expletive-filled video posted to social media after being ejected. 'Just got kicked out of the game for talking s**t to LeBron James for talking s**t to my f***ing husband. This is such f***ing bulls**t,' Carlos said in the video
In another video posted later that day, Carlos continued disparage James, calling the player 'a f***ing p***y'. 'You're going to let a 25-year-old girl intimidate you during a game? Bye b***h'
'The difference is we're on the court and we're not having any alcoholic beverages. They might have had some alcoholic beverages on the side, so that could have – it made him feel tougher than what they really are, I would say.
'I don't feel like it was warranted to be kicked out. There was a back-and-forth between two grown men.'
Meanwhile, Lakers coach Frank Vogel highlighted the risk of such an exchange during the coronavirus pandemic.
'You obviously can't have fans taking their masks down and shouting at our players during these times.'
Atlanta is one of the few NBA franchises allowed to host fans this season and James said he enjoyed playing in front of fans again despite the abuse.
'I love our fans. Laker nation and everybody else that's against Laker nation.
'It just feels better. Fans in the stands is just better. It's better for everybody. Especially on the last game of a 14-day road trip.'
The Lakers went on to win the game at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia 107-99. Pictured: James (right) and Atlanta Hawk's player Cam Reddish (left) during the game
James suggested the couple might have had too much to drink while Lakers coach Frank Vogel pointed to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as a reason fans should avoid removing their masks and shouting at players. Pictured: James looks on during the game
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