LeBron James was ejected for the first time in his NBA career in Tuesday's win over the Heat. James was playing in his 1,082nd career game.

James was ejected with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter.

After getting a steal, James dribbled upcourt and missed a layup then argued with referee Kane Fitzgerald that James Johnson fouled him on the attempt.

Fitzgerald assessed James with a technical foul and ejected him from the game.

"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," James said of the sequence leading up to his ejection. "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 explained the rationale behind his decision to a pool reporter after the game.

"It was a culmination of a couple different acts," Fitzgerald said. "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."

Asked about arguing with an official when the Cavs were up by 23, James said, "I'm trying to win every possession. I don't care if we're up 23 or we're down 23. I want to win every possession."