![]() This was a once-in-a-lifetime superstar at the absolute peak of his powers. Had he stolen that game, nobody can say for sure what would’ve happened next. There was no answer for him, as there never really has been. LeBron made 60 percent of his shots, repeatedly hunted Steph Curry, dropped several pull-up bombs in transition, and lived at the rim. After a particularly rough defeat against Golden State in the 2017 Finals, in Game 1 of this 2018 championship series, it felt like a dam that had held over a year’s worth of pent-up disappointment and determination had cracked. Golden State threw Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson at him-familiar foes who had ended two of his last three seasons with losses. James nearly took down the defending champs single-handedly. ![]() James immediately labeled it one of the toughest losses of his entire career.īut this game, which featured his playoff career high of 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in nearly 48 minutes of action, is still beyond impressive. So much of it represents a missed opportunity: JR Smith committed an all-time brain fart after George Hill missed what could’ve been a game-winning free throw with four seconds on the clock. ![]() LeBron’s second-best playoff game is forever handcuffed to a 10-point loss, endless memes, and a missed opportunity so frustrating it led him to punch a blackboard and injure his hand. (I asked then–Pistons forward Chris Webber about LeBron’s historic performance a few years ago, and he was still shaking his head.) 6. This night was a sign of just how different LeBron really was. They take their lumps, spend years getting knocked down, and then eventually climb the mountain. Players that young don’t lead 50-win teams to the NBA Finals, nor do they shrug off battle-tested champions. LeBron was destined for greatness, but even this felt unfathomable. In the remaining 6:05, plus 10 minutes from two overtime periods, James would drop another 29 points, including 25 straight, and carry the Cavaliers to what was then easily one of their biggest wins in franchise history. The Cavs held a one-point lead with 6:06 left in regulation, and LeBron had just 19 points. If anyone did what he did in Game 5 of that series in 2023, the 14 engineers who still work at Twitter would melt trying to keep feeds up and running. In 2007, making just his second playoff appearance, 22-year-old LeBron swept the Wizards, needed only six games to take down the Jason Kidd–Vince Carter Nets, and then, miraculously, wiped the floor with a proud Pistons team that was three years removed from raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy. LeBron didn’t even give Donald Trump the dignity of using the first two letters in “you.” If there’s ever been a more succinct, economical use of the English language, I’d love to see it. It’s not every day that one of the most visible people on the planet roasts the president of the United States with an all-time social media burn. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!- LeBron James September 23, 2017 ![]() U bum already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite.
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