Series outcome: Miami loses to San Antonio 4-1Īfter winning two straight NBA titles with the Heat, James was looking for a three-peat against the opponent he managed to vanquish in the Finals the year before.Īlas, it wasn’t to be. Still, just the fact that James, at that age and with that team, was able to make the Finals – dethroning a powerful Detroit Pistons team in the process – was a proud accomplishment.
In 2007 a 22-year-old James in just his fourth NBA season led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals with a supporting cast that included such standout names as Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskus and Anderson Varejao.įacing the mighty San Antonio Spurs with the trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all at the height of their basketball abilities, there wasn’t much expectation for James and the Cavaliers to do much, so getting swept wasn’t much of a surprise. Then-Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey devised a defensive scheme predicated on mixing and matching zone looks to flummox James and it worked to excellent effect, a lesson James took to heart for the rest of his career. However, as James has found out, more often than not making a Finals and actually winning it are completely different things and this 2011 series is a good example of that.Īs you can see from his statistical line, this wasn’t James’ best series. In the first season after James shockingly announced he was departing from Cleveland to Miami on national television to team up with buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he managed to successfully reach the NBA Finals, beginning this remarkable run of eight straight. Series outcome: Miami loses to Dallas 4-2 So, with that said, here’s a look at James’ eight NBA Finals, in terms of how he performed individually, ranked. He knows how bad that moment was for him, he learned from it, and is able to laugh at himself.Given the sheer number of Finals appearances James has at this point – his nine is only matched and surpassed by six players in NBA history – it’s fair to say that not all of those trips can be measured equally. He doesn't deny it, he doesn't make excuses. But it's also an insight into how James understands how he failed. It's all fun and games now that James has won two more MVPs, two championships, and two Finals MVPs. " How do I get my baby to fall asleep?"(Put my performance in the 2011 Finals on! Night night immediately) Someone said they needed to get their kid to sleep. He was pretty much the most hated individual in sports there for a little while.īut time heals all wounds, and on Saturday night, James was answering Twitter questions.
After the game, he lashed out, talking about how the critics had to go back to their lives the next day. James had lost the NBA Finals on his home floor to the Mavericks, having a disappointing and uninspiring performance that lead many to question his heart, commitment, and ability. That it came after the NBA Finals kind of shows you what level he's playing on. Nearly three year ago, LeBron James hit the low-point of his career. LeBron James can laugh at his past failures.
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