Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James was ejected from a game against Detroit Pistons after the 36-year-old drew blood from Isaiah Stewart's face as the two star players jostled for a rebound during a tense Sunday night encounter.
James struck Stewart's neck and face with his left elbow and hand, and the game was suspended as tensions ran high.
After being hit in the face, Stewart tried to confront James but his Detroit teammates held him back.
The incident took place in the third quarter of the game with 9 minutes and 18 seconds remaining on the clock as the Lakers trailed the Pistons 79-67.
While James was ejected for his foul, the Detroit player was also sent off for committing two technical fouls.
Meanwhile, Lakers guard Russell Westbrook was assessed for a technical foul before the officials declared him as an "escalator" during the fight.
The Lakers eventually went on to claim a 116-121 triumph over the Pistons.
"Everybody did a great job trying to deescalate the situation," Lakers player Anthony Davis said after the game.
"Everyone in the league knows LeBron isn't a dirty guy," Davis added. “As soon as he did it, he looked back and told him, 'My bad.'"