Did fans sing “You Are My Sunshine” to LeBron James after 40-point night vs Nets? Debunking viral video

Despite being a part of the opposing team, LeBron James, the star forward for the LA Lakers, was met with a standing ovation from Brooklyn Nets fans after his impressive shooting display at the Barclays Center on Sunday. A modified video of the moment quickly gained popularity, implying that the Brooklyn crowd serenaded James as he exited the game.

James led the game with an impressive 40 points, along with seven rebounds, five assists, and an equal career-high of nine 3-pointers. He shot an outstanding 76.5% (13-for-17) overall and had a remarkable 90.0% (9-for-10) accuracy from the 3-point line, helping the Lakers secure a 116-104 victory on the road.

Generally, it is not common for fans to openly support star players from the opposing team. However, due to the impressive shooting display by James and the fact that the game held little importance for the Nets, they chose to express their admiration.

As he exited the court, Nets supporters rose to their feet and gave a round of applause to the 20-time All-Star. James acknowledged the gesture by making a crown gesture towards the stands. A video of the moment was posted on X/Twitter by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who highlighted the impressive performance of the four-time MVP.

Despite allegations that the video was doctored, it appears that fans sang Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell’s timeless 1940 country song “You Are My Sunshine”to James.

Despite the other clips of James walking off the court, the video is obviously fabricated and most likely intended as an April Fool’s Day prank. Nevertheless, it managed to deceive some fans who were not able to watch the actual game on Sunday.

LeBron James Reflects on Fan Appreciation and Hot Shooting Performance Against the Nets

Following his impressive performance at the Barclays Center on Sunday, LeBron James saw his 3-point percentage rise to a career-high of 41.6% while attempting an average of 5.3 shots per game.

With his current ranking at 21st in the NBA for 3pt%, he is right on the cusp of becoming a top-20 shooter in terms of efficiency. This places him ahead of several elite sharpshooters in the league, including Golden State Warriors’ star point guard Steph Curry (40.3%), who is widely recognized as one of the best shooters in NBA history.

After his phenomenal shooting performance, James discussed how he has tirelessly honed his shot to capitalize on teams’ mistakes of leaving him unguarded.

“I want to be respected, and teams have to play me from the outside,”James said. “That’s still kind of one thing teams [think] still, ‘If we have to give up something, we’d much rather him shoot the ball from the outside.’”

Prior to this current season, James had only achieved a 40.0% or higher shooting percentage from 3-point range once. This occurred during the 2012-13 season while playing for the Miami Heat, where he recorded a 40.6% shooting percentage on 3.3 attempts per game. In the previous season, at the age of 39, his 3-point shooting percentage was only 32.1% on 6.9 attempts per game.

James has impressively increased his 3pt% by 9.5% within just one year. The question now is whether he can sustain this high level of accuracy. If he does, his exceptional shooting ability could prove to be a game-changer for the Lakers (42-33, ninth in the Western Conference) during the playoffs.