LeBron James tried to track down Isaiah Stewart's phone number so he could formally apologize for hitting him in the face

• LeBron James tried to get Isaiah Stewart's number so he could apologize for elbowing him in the face.
• The Athletic's Shams Charania says the Lakers star wanted to let Stewart know it was an accident.

LeBron James tried to track down Isaiah Stewart's phone number so he could formally apologize for elbowing him in the face during the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

That's according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, who says James wanted to let Stewart know that the hit was an accident.

James was ejected for just the second time in his career after hitting Stewart in the face with an elbow in the third quarter of Sunday's game at the Little Caesars Arena.

Stewart, who was also ejected for two technical fouls, was left bleeding from above the eye from the hit and had to be restrained by staff as he tried to confront the Lakers star.

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"You could tell right after the play happened, it looked inadvertent, and I'm told that LeBron James has made clear, whether it was on the court or post-game that it was an inadvertent hit," Charania told the Pat McAfee Show.

"I'm told LeBron James did try to track down Isaiah Stewart's number post-game to apologize to Stewart again and let him know that it was an inadvertent hit to his face."

Following a review from the NBA, James has been suspended for one game while Stewart has been banned for two for their roles in the ugly confrontation.

James, the NBA said, was disciplined for "recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation."

Stewart was punished for "escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing James in an unsportsmanlike manner."

James' suspension is the first of his 19-year NBA career. Teammate Anthony Davis defended the 36-year-old after the game.

"Everyone in the league knows LeBron's not a dirty guy," he told reporters. "In fact, when he knew he hit him, as soon as he did it, he looked back at him like, 'Oh, my bad. I didn't try to do it.'"

The Lakers won the game 121-116.