LeBron James may be a giant on the court, but even he had to face a truly tiny, yet deadly, opponent during his recent Arizona trip. Just as he was settling into his hotel room ahead of the Lakers’ preseason face-off with the Suns, the King encountered an unexpected threat—a venomous Arizona Bark Scorpion, infamous for its neurotoxin that can pack a fatal punch. In a video shared on his Instagram story, James revealed his close call, showing the scorpion lying defeated on the floor. “Scorpion tried to really get me when I got out the [broom]!” he captioned, adding, “Luckily, I was walking with my head down and saw him creeping! Welcome to Arizona.”
The Arizona Bark Scorpion’s sting might sound like just another inconvenience, but it’s far more serious. Its venom is potent enough to require anti-venom treatment, and while only two deaths have been reported in the past 56 years, thousands suffer stings every year. For James, it was a lucky dodge, as he avoided both a hospital trip and a potential disaster by handling the scorpion quickly and decisively.
The incident adds an unexpected twist to James’ trip, which he hopes will yield better results on the court as the Lakers look to reverse their rough preseason start. For now, though, fans are just glad that this face-off with one of Arizona’s deadliest opponents ended with LeBron victorious and unharmed.
