LeBron James Quotes Taurean Prince on Rebounding After 76ers Are Outrebounded 54-37 by Pistons
Philadelphia lost its first game of the season Sunday, 106-93 to Detroit, and the Pistons' 54-37 edge on the boards — 15 offensive rebounds, 24 second-chance points — drew a viral answer from LeBron James: in Taurean Prince's words, the ball goes up, and then you go grab the ball.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost for the first time this season on Sunday, falling 106-93 to the Detroit Pistons, and the game turned on the glass. Detroit outrebounded Philadelphia 54-37, collected 15 offensive rebounds and turned them into 24 second-chance points, according to Heavy's report of the game.
Asked afterward how the 76ers can fix their rebounding, LeBron James reached for a line longtime basketball fans know by heart. "In the great words of Taurean Prince, who I saw tonight on the bench, a good friend of mine," James said, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "The ball goes up into the air, and then you go grab the ball."
The reference is to Prince's 2016 NCAA Tournament press conference at Baylor, when, asked how Yale had outrebounded the Bears in an upset, he explained the act of rebounding in deadpan, literal terms — a clip that has circulated ever since. Prince and James were once teammates, and James pointed listeners toward the Baylor moment for anyone who missed the joke.
Beneath it, the problem is real, and James is part of it: he finished with 18 points and two rebounds against Detroit, and a defensive stop does Philadelphia no good when the opponent simply gets the ball back. The loss drops the 76ers to 3-1 after three straight wins to open the season. James is in his 24th NBA season and his first with Philadelphia, having signed with the club as a free agent in the offseason.
