Referee Kane Fitzgerald Says LeBron James Threw Air Punch, Used Vulgarity

Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' 108-97 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, referee Kane Fitzgerald explained his decision to eject LeBron James in the third quarter. 

Fitzgerald tossed James with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter after LeBron argued that he had been fouled on a layup attempt by Heat forward James Johnson.

According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, Fitzgerald felt as though James had become too aggressive toward him: "It was a culmination of a couple [of] different acts. Immediately after the no-call, he turned and threw an air punch directly at me, and then he aggressively charged at me, and then he used vulgarity in my ear a few times."

LeBron Gets His First Ejection Ever

Tuesday's game marked the first time LeBron had been ejected in 1,082 career NBA games.

James said after the game that he was frustrated with the lack of a call on Johnson but was ultimately glad to get the win: "I got fouled all the way up the court, from the time that I stripped him, all the way until I got to the rim. I said what I had to say and then I moved on, but he decided I should get [ejected]. It is what it is. We got the win, and that's what's most important."

Fitzgerald was asked if anything else occurred between him and LeBron leading up to the ejection aside from the one argument, but he responded, "Nothing at all, nothing that I'm aware of."

While Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue was forced to navigate the fourth quarter without his best player, he didn't take issue with the ejection, saying, "Yup. Should have got thrown out. Yup. ... I really don't know what he said. He got kicked out. Want me to go against the ref? No, he got thrown out. He's out."

Cleveland had a healthy 93-70 lead when James was ejected, and while Miami cut into that advantage after LeBron was tossed, the Cavaliers still won comfortably.

LeBron finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Cavs big man Kevin Love scored a game-high 38 points.

Cleveland is now third in the Eastern Conference at 14-7 by virtue of a nine-game winning streak, and it will look to make it 10 on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks.