Isaiah Stewart says he has no regrets about trying to confront LeBron James in November 2021, despite acknowledging that he has learned lessons from past incidents.
Asked by Marc J. Spears whether he regretted his altercations with James and the Charlotte Hornets, the Memphis Grizzlies center stood by his approach to the game.
“I don’t have no regrets. I feel like there’s lessons out of everything. Even going back to that first incident, Charlotte, I don’t have no regrets,” Stewart said.
“I don’t care what people may perceive me as. I come to play basketball, and I play the game a certain way.”
Stewart also acknowledged that he has sometimes reconsidered his reactions after confrontations. However, he criticized opponents who might deliberately provoke him to get him ejected.
“And it has been times where I thought back and said, hey, I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. “And I feel like teams having their game plan of, ‘Hey, let’s do something to trip him off, to get him out the game.’ For me, it’s hard to respect you as a man if that’s your game plan.”
The November 2021 incident against the Los Angeles Lakers became one of the most widely discussed moments of Stewart’s career. He was ejected after attempting to confront James following a collision during the game.
Stewart’s history of confrontations continued in Detroit, including a February 2026 brawl against Charlotte. He received a seven-game suspension following that incident, with the NBA citing his repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.
The Pistons traded Stewart to Memphis in June. He has not been ejected in his first seven appearances with the Grizzlies.
The 25-year-old is averaging 11.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game this season. He is shooting 66.7% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range for Memphis, which has opened the campaign 6-2.
