Michael Beasley visits Lakers bench after attending game with his ailing mom
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Washington Wizards on Sunday, but the team’s visit to the nation’s capital reunited them with a teammate who has been tending to personal matters for the past week.
Michael Beasley left the team Dec. 8 due to a family health matter. His mother, Fatima Smith, has been seriously ill. According to the Los Angeles Times, Smith told her son that she wanted to see his team play while they were in town. Beasley grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, and his mother still lives there.
So on Sunday, Smith and Beasley watched the Lakers lose 128-110 to the Wizards from a suite at the Capital One Arena. Beasley ducked out for just a few minutes — to sit with his teammates on the bench at the start of the second half.
Beasley’s teammates were surprised and happy to see him at the game and on their bench. They’ve been universally supportive of him as he’s been going through this tough time with his mother, but were thrilled to have him back in the fold, even for just a few minutes. Here’s how Kyle Kuzma put it, via the L.A. Times:
“I couldn’t imagine going through it especially with the relationship I have with my mother,” Kuzma said. “I know he has the same. We’re all here for him, giving him a helping hand for whatever he has. It was just great to see him.”
LeBron James echoed Kuzma’s comments, but didn’t want to say too much because he doesn’t know the details of Smith’s illness.
“It’s happy to have our brother back, see a smile on his face,” James said. “The game of basketball’s done so much for him and for him to be able to get away from whatever situation he’s in, I know it’s a bright spot for him. I just try to give him respect. I’m ready for him when he comes back, that’s for sure, but it’s all family time.”
Beasley has left the team two previous times to tend to family matters. At the end of October he left for six days, and in mid-November he left for just one game. He’s appeared in just 10 games. Head coach Luke Walton said that it’s great when his team is together, but what Beasley is dealing with is obviously more important.
“We take our jobs very serious, but we know that there’s always real life happening and that’s always the most important thing,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “We also know we’re lucky to have our jobs and we have a group that really enjoys each other and coming to work. But Michael obviously going through real-life stuff is more important than any basketball.”
The Lakers probably would have preferred to win on Sunday, but a visit from Beasley made sure that the game wasn’t a total loss.
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