THOUGHTS ON THE FINALS
Reading Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst's book, 'The Return of the King,' something stands out to me (It's an outstanding book, by the way). After losing a heartbreaking Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals and facing a 3-1 deficit, LeBron James had trouble sleeping. He gathered his thoughts and sent an early morning text message to his teammates that said, "No matter how we got to this point, we're here now. We have to go to Golden State for Game 5 and we have to come home anyway. So why not come home and play a Game 6. Let it go, play hard, be focused, follow my lead and I'll make sure you get home for a Game 6." I have a few thoughts on that:
1.) This was right after Draymond Green kicked James in the groin and would later get suspended for the pivotal Game 5. It was a heated series, with Klay Thompson later provoking James in a press conference saying James, "Got his feelings hurt," and, "It's a man's game." James, who laughed menacingly when being told of these comments, was not the same player after this. He played Games 5 and 6 like his hair was on fire.
2.) James had the power of belief. His greatest strength, something he has shown off recently with his postgame recollection of his turnovers (in order), is his mind. He breaks down plays on the fly like a quarterback going through his pre-snap reads. He once joked that he had a photographic memory. It can, however, also work against him at times.
3.) You have to wonder if James had already conceded in his head, especially after Game 1, that the series was not winnable. He attacked the game differently after that 51 point Game 1 (more on that later) and his comments before Game 4 conceded that the Warriors had the superior talent, but also, superior minds. The nature of the comments were not surprising, but the timing of them was alarming, to say the least.
4.) Going back to that text... I am not a betting man, but I would be willing to bet no such text was sent out after going down 3-0 in this series. James played Game 4 like it was a regular season game in February. He is still the best player in basketball. He played more minutes in the postseason than anybody, and did so at 33 years of age and playing in all 82 regular season games. He is human. But with the season on the line, passing to Larry Nance posting up in the paint is not an option.
5.) "It's his left eye," I wrote in my group text to friends. "His jump shot hasn't been the same since he injured that eye. I bet it comes out after the series that it was bothering him more than he let on." I have seen James play many basketball games, enough to know that something seemed off about his game after Game 1. His outside shot nearly disappeared, and being that he was fatigued, you'd figure he would be settling for more outside shots, not less. But I never would have expected the news that he injured his right hand punching a whiteboard after Game 1. It was shocking and incredibly disappointing.
6.) James gets all the praise for being the best player in the world, and deservedly so. He had a post-season run for the ages. But there is no excuse for injuring yourself in that matter when your
team is so dependent on you. It was childish, immature, and absolutely cost his team any
chance at all to win the series. To his credit, he still averaged 28 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds per game in games 2-4.
7.) If you think it is some sort of excuse, here is a look at that infamous injured hand. It is clearly swollen.
Reading Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst's book, 'The Return of the King,' something stands out to me (It's an outstanding book, by the way). After losing a heartbreaking Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals and facing a 3-1 deficit, LeBron James had trouble sleeping. He gathered his thoughts and sent an early morning text message to his teammates that said, "No matter how we got to this point, we're here now. We have to go to Golden State for Game 5 and we have to come home anyway. So why not come home and play a Game 6. Let it go, play hard, be focused, follow my lead and I'll make sure you get home for a Game 6." I have a few thoughts on that:
1.) This was right after Draymond Green kicked James in the groin and would later get suspended for the pivotal Game 5. It was a heated series, with Klay Thompson later provoking James in a press conference saying James, "Got his feelings hurt," and, "It's a man's game." James, who laughed menacingly when being told of these comments, was not the same player after this. He played Games 5 and 6 like his hair was on fire.
2.) James had the power of belief. His greatest strength, something he has shown off recently with his postgame recollection of his turnovers (in order), is his mind. He breaks down plays on the fly like a quarterback going through his pre-snap reads. He once joked that he had a photographic memory. It can, however, also work against him at times.
3.) You have to wonder if James had already conceded in his head, especially after Game 1, that the series was not winnable. He attacked the game differently after that 51 point Game 1 (more on that later) and his comments before Game 4 conceded that the Warriors had the superior talent, but also, superior minds. The nature of the comments were not surprising, but the timing of them was alarming, to say the least.
4.) Going back to that text... I am not a betting man, but I would be willing to bet no such text was sent out after going down 3-0 in this series. James played Game 4 like it was a regular season game in February. He is still the best player in basketball. He played more minutes in the postseason than anybody, and did so at 33 years of age and playing in all 82 regular season games. He is human. But with the season on the line, passing to Larry Nance posting up in the paint is not an option.
5.) "It's his left eye," I wrote in my group text to friends. "His jump shot hasn't been the same since he injured that eye. I bet it comes out after the series that it was bothering him more than he let on." I have seen James play many basketball games, enough to know that something seemed off about his game after Game 1. His outside shot nearly disappeared, and being that he was fatigued, you'd figure he would be settling for more outside shots, not less. But I never would have expected the news that he injured his right hand punching a whiteboard after Game 1. It was shocking and incredibly disappointing.
6.) James gets all the praise for being the best player in the world, and deservedly so. He had a post-season run for the ages. But there is no excuse for injuring yourself in that matter when your
team is so dependent on you. It was childish, immature, and absolutely cost his team any
chance at all to win the series. To his credit, he still averaged 28 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds per game in games 2-4.
7.) If you think it is some sort of excuse, here is a look at that infamous injured hand. It is clearly swollen.
8.) This makes the ref's reversed charge, George Hill's missed free throw and JR Smith's... whatever you call it even more infuriating. Yes, the Cavs got swept, but we will never know what could've happened with a Game 1 win and a healthy LeBron James. If he leaves, this will need to be part of the equation, unfortunately. As if the memes are not enough.
TOP NON CLEVELAND LeBRON DESTINATIONS:
If your team can't be a winner, the next best thing is rooting for a team to lose. It's petty, but doesn't being petty feel good from time to time? Plus, rooting for a team to lose almost guarantees that you will end up happy with the result. After all, only one team can win the championship. Take Celtics fans, for example. They can't beat LeBron James, so they get pleasure in watching his team get swept in The Finals (if you don't take my word for it, take a look at the Barstool Sports Twitter feed. Their creator is a Boston fanboy).
Remember how fun it was to root against the Miami Heat when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks? The Dallas Mavaliers, we called them I believe. It was the next best thing to watching your team actually win. I imagine it'll be 10x that to watch the Warriors lose. If a new LeBron team can beat both the Warriors and the Celtics next year? That's the ideal situation.
1.) Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder are not even among the teams James is reportedly meeting with. But could you imagine a Western Conference Finals in OKC in which the Thunder knock out Durant's Warriors? Remember how venomous those first LeBron led Heat/Shitty Cavs teams matchups were? Imagine that being a playoff series. My God. Odds: President Trump quits Twitter.
2.) Boston Celtics: The only was this is a fun scenario for a Cavs fan is if LeBron opts in to his player option and forces a trade to the Celtics. The Celtics give the Cavs back Kyrie Irving. The ultimate petty move. I don't care that Boston would likely win a title, it would be worth it. Odds: Trump knows all the words to the National Anthem.
3.) San Antonio Spurs: LeBron playing for one of the best basketball coaches of all-time alongside one of the game's elite players. A team that wins with class and a respectful fanbase. Yes please. Odds: Zack McAllister finishes the season in the Indians bullpen.
4.) Milwaukee Bucks: Again, 0 chance. But I'm not quite sure why. Giannis NotEvenGonnaTryTheLastName is like LeBron Lite. With Giannis recently discovering his love for corn dogs and fruit punch, this could be unstoppable. Or he could let his newfound love for American cuisine get to his thighs. Odds: My girlfriend knows what an infield fly rule is.
5.) Los Angeles Clippers: Just to piss off the Laker fans. Odds: LiAngelo Ball plays in the NBA.
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