‘This gimmick’ – LA Lakers fans confused as Collin Sexton’s ‘rabid’ defensive approach goes viral

A clip of Collin Sexton playing defence against the LA Clippers had many LA Lakers fans concerned about their new signing.

The Lakers landed Sexton to add depth to their guard positions during the offseason, with the former Cavaliers and Jazz guard coming off the bench to give Austin Reaves a rest.

As a role player, Sexton is bound to be eager to show that he can play more minutes and even be a starter. But in trying to show more effort on the court, Sexton got many fans in the NBA world talking.

During the LA Lakers’ win against the LA Clippers, Collin Sexton decided to guard Cam Christie, who had possession of the ball.

While playing very aggressive and stifling defence on Christie, Sexton could be seen making wild facial expressions, looking incredibly intense and chaotic in the process.

Understandably, many fans were taken aback by Sexton’s aggressive demeanour, with many questioning where this energy came from.

One fan simply wrote: “My guy looks rabid.”

Another Lakers fan added: “He’s going to have some WTF moments, but there is no question he is going to play every night like his life is on the line.”

A third fan questioned how Sexton continues to approach his defensive assignment this way: “He still doing this gimmick in 2026? Give it up.”

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Thrilled by his commitment on the defensive end, a fourth LA Lakers fan praised Sexton: “The Bull! I’m so happy we finally got Sexton. He’s incredible!”

However, not everyone expressed the same enthusiasm, as a fifth fan wrote: “Bro, this is like game 3 of an 82-game season. Calm down!”

And lastly, one final fan questioned why Sexton came out so aggressively against weak opposition: “Didn’t he do this to Ja or Dame? Oh, that’s right, he didn’t.”

Sexton had a strong performance on both ends of the court, ending the game with a plus/minus score of +23.

He scored 21 points on 6-11 shooting from the field and 4-7 shooting from deep, while also providing excellent perimeter defence.

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