Bill Maher took a direct hit from a Lakers star courtside, then flashed the injury he walked away with

It’s quite common to see injuries on an NBA court, as players often come down on them during intense plays. But one of the spectators getting injured is something we don’t often see. This happened during the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the New York Knicks, when one of the Lakers’ stars accidentally hit a notable personality while playing.

As per People, it was their guard, Marcus Smart, who was apparently diving for a loose ball but crashed into the courtside. This happened in the first half of the game, during which he ended up hitting the American television host Bill Maher, who was there to enjoy the solid battle between the teams.

The footage shows the intensity of the hit. Marcus appears to be at a significant speed while he is attempting to save the ball from going out of bounds. It looks like he succeeded in doing so, but hit the 70-year-old Maher with significant force. Luckily, Bill only got a painful hit on his finger and seemed fine with it, raising his finger in front of the camera and laughing it off.

It looks like Bill’s reaction became the highlight moment of the game

Judging by the footage spreading online, the impact looks quite concerning, not just because of the speed but also because of the athlete’s physicality. This is because Marcus Smart is a 6 ‘3, 220-pound player whose hit at that speed could potentially go wrong for anyone, not just Bill. However, the TV personality, taking it lightly and laughing it off, soon became one of the game’s noteworthy highlights.

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As an active comedian and entertainer, Bill’s reaction added sarcasm to the situation. He started stand-up in 1979 and still makes highlights in Las Vegas shows and HBO specials. Despite LeBron James’ injury, the team managed to score a 110-97 win against the Knicks. Doncic, who had a controversial Lakers trade, led with 35 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Austin Reaves added 25 points.

Smart, on the other hand, made his way back to the court shortly after the collision. The athlete briefly checked his left hand by shaking it and contributed to the Lakers’ win with five points on 1-for-10 shooting, four assists, and two steals. There’s no official report listing him as hurt from the incident, but it seems like he and Maher have taken more attention than the Lakers’ victory.