Ausar Thompson’s ejection during their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday had plenty of NBA fans comparing how he was treated in this situation as opposed to the treatment LeBron James received when he complained about fouls.
Midway through the second quarter, the Pistons’ rookie was tossed after getting in referee John Goble’s face over a foul call.
Fans immediately drew comparisons to LeBron James, who has a reputation for lengthy complaints without the same punishment.
@suitable_chow joked, “Ejecting Bron would have been elder abuse under the current CBA come on guys.”
Ejecting Bron would have been elder abuse under the current CBA come on guys
— Brody Nielson (@suitable_chow) December 19, 2025
@clarkcashes added, “Clearly not the same body language. Good rage bait.”
And @DeyLuvHuggy pointed out, “When you’ve been carrying the NBA for 23 years straight, you can do anything you want.”
Thompson finished with just 8 points in 9 minutes as Detroit fell 116-114 to the Mavericks.
“It’s a disgrace”: NBA fans lash out at LeBron James for excessive complaining against the referee
The comparisons grew louder Sunday when LeBron’s actions against Phoenix were put under the microscope. During the Lakers’ 116-114 win, James was seen screaming at and even shoving a referee, yet stayed in the game.
Content creator Jon Root highlighted the double standard, noting how Pistons guard Hamidou Diallo was suspended and fined for making contact with an official, while LeBron walked away unscathed.
Fans piled on.
@SmokinApesNFT said, “He owns the league at this point. It’s a disgrace.”
He owns the league at this point. It’s a disgrace.
— Drew33 (@SmokinApesNFT) December 16, 2025
@coachkelley1 agreed: “Terrible that he gets away with contact on a ref. No one should.”
And @tyromper added, “And then claim to be a victim somehow after the game.”
The incident came after Dillon Brooks bumped into LeBron and taunted him following a late three. Brooks was ejected, while James remained to help seal the win.
For Thompson, the ejection was swift and costly. For LeBron, the leash looked longer. Fans see it as another example of the league protecting its biggest star, while younger players get no margin for error.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
