If there was anyone left wondering if Lebron James is clutch the critics were silenced Sunday night in Cleveland. 37 points 18 rebounds and 13 assists, a performance in the postseason Cavs fans had been waiting for. It was the performance of a generation and as the city of Cleveland bowed down to its King the only thing left of James was a many having left his heart and soul on the floor.
As James said afterward “I felt like I couldn’t give anymore. Then it became mind over matter.”
Lebron James: Time to Pay Homage to the King
It was a game that Lebron James was not his best. He missed his first ten shots and Jeff Teague was playing out of his mind. The pressure was on and his body was giving out. This was his legacy, this was his moment and this was his city. The pressure was mounting and by the first half the critics were already writing the King off his throne with the Cavs down by one at halftime, even after Al Horford had been ejected.
Like so many times before, James proved that his game has endless dimensions and it showed in the second half. The vision to see a play before it happens, imposing his physical will on the glass and the determination to pursue the ball relentlessly on the defensive end.
The result was making a three-pointer from the same spot he had missed badly from just seconds before, followed by racing to the other to block Jeff Teague’s potential go-ahead layup and then finishing with a runner over Paul Millsap to give the Cleveland Cavaliers its most storied win in franchise history.
As social media raced to give its input about how great or how ungreat James was at the end of the day there was only one thing that ultimately mattered: the Cavaliers led the series three games to none. All of the glossed admiration as well as the diminutive cries flying off of social media like a bar at Happy Hour didn’t matter.
Nothing and no one could take this from James. There was no Dwyane Wade and there was no Ray Allen for James to defer. There was a gutsy and reckless Australian, a tall Russian center who had a reputation for being soft and two guys who were driven out of town New York City joining this kooky cast of characters supporting Cleveland’s favorite son.
This time there was no sidekicks or even a wingman. There wasn’t a co-star and there wasn’t a lifeline when James’ game failed. Simply put, there were no more excuses.
If James’ four MVP awards didn’t cement him as the best player in the world, then tonight was the culmination of his previous success. All the failure and success lead to game three and cements his legacy. James is now talked about in the same breath as Michael Jordan, and has passed Kobe Bryant because of the influence he has over games. James’ playoff shooting percentage is 47% to Kobe’s 44% and if that doesn’t speak for itself, then the 12 postseason triple doubles will.
If something in basketball is defined as Jordan-esque it is defined when a player is able to perform with the style and fluidity that helped make Michael Jordan the best scorer of his era. If something is Kobe-esque, it is when a player is able to hit and create shots that are deemed almost impossible. Now Lebron has his own category and is defined as being able to perform at a high level in the overall facets of the game from rebounding to scoring to setting up teammates and garnering up assists.
It may be a lot to swallow being that it is only the Eastern Conference finals. Yet one is left wondering how he was able to pull off such a performance. No Kevin Love, no Kyrie Irving, having only eight players active and shooting 37.8% from the field on 37 shots and yet still impact the game in a way only a king could.
So as the Cleveland Cavaliers have a berth to its second NBA finals well within its grasp let us pause and give ourselves a moment to digest and pay homage to Lebron James.
Main Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
