LeBron James is on another level now

[tlongII]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2007-06-01-lebron-james_N.htm

A roll of the drums, please. LeBron James is ready for his close-up.
The NBA Finals want him. The NBA Finals need him. Goodness knows what will happen to the ratings if left in the hands of the numbingly efficient San Antonio Spurs, who could use a telegenic face to torment.

For James, studying to major as a superstar for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit has become a tutorial in Playoffs 101. Lose and put up pale numbers — as he did in the first two games — and the critics reach for megaphones. Only one acceptable response: Start winning and, when necessary, do it yourself.

We have now witnessed his coming-out party. His Bar Mitzvah. That'd be Thursday night, when to win Game 5 in two overtimes, he scored 48 points.

Not that James' career has been lacking for attention, but this night was very different. This was wrecking a dangerous playoff opponent with his own bare hands, and doing it on the road. This was coming of age.

LeBron James is different now than he was 48 hours ago.

"You're as good as your last game," Cleveland's Larry Hughes would say when it was over. "Right now, he's great."

Doug Collins coached a young Jordan through his playoff introductions. Collins broadcast Thursday's game and understood a rite of passage when he saw one.

"That's what makes the playoffs great," Collins said. "You're facing the greatest of tests. With all the criticism he took after Game 1 and 2, he never whined, he never cried. All you heard from him was, 'I've got to get better.' "

To review the carnage, James scored 29 of his team's last 30 points. His teammates, misfiring 0-for-10, did not have a field goal in the final 17:48. That was on the game clock. On the real-life clock, there was not a non-James Cleveland basket in the last hour and 10 minutes of the basketball game.

"I'm speechless," Cleveland rookie Daniel Gibson said later in the locker room.

But Gibson tried to put James' demeanor Thursday night into words: "If you're on my team, let's ride. If not, get out of the way."

That's a reasonable facsimile of Jordan, but he usually had Scottie Pippen tagging along. Or a role player with impeccable timing, such as John Paxson.

The way the rest of the Cavaliers were shooting — or not shooting — James might just as well have been out there in overtime with four plumbers from Akron.

So he would appear to be on task now. He realizes the necessary mentality.

"At times, I wanted to attack as much as possible. ... If I did everything I did tonight and we lost, it means nothing."

He understands the confidence required, nearly to the point of arrogance. The playoff world does not belong to the meek.

"Why do I have to be surprised?" he answered when asked if he was surprised that he was so effective slashing to the basket. "I made a lot of good moves and I was able to finish. It wasn't like they just opened up the lane and let me through."

He can now see the grind this takes.

"I feel terrible," he said after Game 5. "I'm everything: I'm banged up, I'm winded, I'm fatigued."

But the Pistons are unfinished business, and they can be an obstinate bunch, as the Cavaliers found out last year when they were ahead 3-2 like they are now and needed only one more win to finish the job. It never came.

"Everybody keeps asking for more, and he is a willing guy," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said of James. "He just keeps giving us more."

True giants of the game do that in the playoffs. The NBA Finals are in sight.

It's June. LeBron James is 22. He's ready for graduation.

[SpursWoman]

Good Lord, tlong ... did LeBron stop by your place of employment and let you park his car or something? :lol

[ducks]

to many james threads

[td4mvp21]

NBA Forum maybe?

[saporvida]

lebron this lebron that... he ain't all that he's hyped up to be.

lebron is one of my favs but he still hasn't proven anything really substantial to me at least that would regard him as a spurs killer. he is one man vs 12. you've got to play team ball to get anywhere in this league and even jordan understood that. and as for the cavs winning in the regular season who cares? it's the post season and that's when the spurs true colors shine bright!

[Corn on the Colb]

Cross your fingers Detroit holds him to 10 total points in the next 2 games so we don't have to hear about him all summer.

[ducks]

The NBA Finals need him :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes

when has the finals ever had him
finals do not need him

[TwoHandJam]

Right. Lebron has become the messiah overnight. Some people have an insatiable desire for hype. Especially when their team sucks ass and they have a lot of time on their hands.

[saporvida]

Cross your fingers Detroit holds him to 10 total points in the next 2 games so we don't have to hear about him all summer.

cross your fingers that okur and dolph get traded because they stunk it up in the wcf.

oh by the way i was playing bball down the street yesterday and their was this okur look-alike on the court all decked out in blue and white. i couldn't stop laughing my ass off. it was so uncanny.

[Martin R]

Lebron is trully playing at a jordanesque level. Give the boy credit.

[duncan228]

Stern must be thrilled, Lebron overtook Kobe in the sports sections.

Fine with me. Even Duncan said it the other night.
Flying under the radar is good for the Spurs.

[Corn on the Colb]

lebron this lebron that... he ain't all that he's hyped up to be.

lebron is one of my favs but he still hasn't proven anything really substantial to me at least that would regard him as a spurs killer. he is one man vs 12. you've got to play team ball to get anywhere in this league and even jordan understood that. and as for the cavs winning in the regular season who cares? it's the post season and that's when the spurs true colors shine bright!

With that said, you have to admit, the Cavs are kind of winning in the postseason now, aren't they?

The first round was like an exhibition game against a college team, and the Nets were the worst team in the Semi-Finals by FAR.

But, now LeBron and the Cavs have proved a little something. I wouldn't say he's a Spurs killer, but his first 4 years could collectively be the best start to a career ever, numbers wise. I want to see if anybody else in history has done what LeBron has done in his 1st 4 years.

I hate the hype as much as the next guy, but good God he is amazing. And 22. :(

[Corn on the Colb]

cross your fingers that okur and dolph get traded because they stunk it up in the wcf.

oh by the way i was playing bball down the street yesterday and their was this okur look-alike on the court all decked out in blue and white. i couldn't stop laughing my ass off. it was so uncanny.

The only person that needs to be traded is AK.

Dolph?

[tlongII]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- You knew it would eventually come to this. Cleveland's LeBron James would get tired of his incompetent teammates and try to beat the Detroit Pistons all by himself. You knew it would happen. You just didn't know if he could do it.

Turns out ... he could.

LeBron beat the Pistons 109-107 in double overtime Thursday night, giving the LeBrons a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, which LeBron can end Saturday at home in Cleveland.

Detroit has more good players than Cleveland, but Cleveland has the best player in the sport, and arguably the best player in any sport. Forget the MVP voting this season that went (laughably) to Dirk Nowitzki. LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and before you try to argue that, watch a tape of the last 12 1/2 minutes of Thursday's game.

James scored 48 points. He had nine rebounds. He had seven assists.

James scored 25 points in the final 12½ minutes ... and those were Cleveland's last 25 points of the game. Read that again, because in my stupor I'm not sure I wrote that clearly enough.

James scored his team's final 25 points. After hitting the game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds -- driving through the defense and spinning the ball off the glass -- LeBron headed to the Cleveland bench and collapsed against Drew Gooden, leaning his head on Gooden's shoulder while Gooden held up James with both arms.

On this night James was the best basketball player I've ever seen. Best you've ever seen, too, unless you saw Wilt Chamberlain score 100 that night in 1962. And even then, Wilt gets an asterisk -- his supernatural size for the early 1960s his own (natural) steroid.

This was Michael Jordan scoring 63 against Boston in the Garden in the 1986 playoffs ... only LeBron's team didn't lose.

This was Danny Ainge against Notre Dame in the final five seconds of the 1981 NCAA Tournament ... every time Cleveland had the ball.

I never saw Chamberlain. Didn't see Bill Russell or Oscar Robertson. I saw Jordan, Magic and Bird, however, and I never saw any of them do what James did Thursday night. He took on the Detroit Pistons down the stretch of the biggest game of this NBA season to date, and damn if he didn't win. In reality, the Eastern Conference finals should read: Detroit 2, Cleveland 2, LeBron 1. Because LeBron won Game 5.

By the time overtime rolled around, after trying to stop James with 6-foot-9 Tayshaun Prince and 6-3 Chauncey Billups and 6-2 Lindsey Hunter and 6-6 Rip Hamilton, the Pistons abandoned that nonsense and started playing a modified box-and-one.

The box guarded James. The one guarded his teammates.

The box failed. The Chicago Bears would have failed. This was high school all over again. James was the biggest, baddest athlete on the floor, and when the ball was in his hands everyone else was an accessory.

James scored the Cavaliers' final seven points of regulation. Nobody else from Cleveland even shot the ball.

James scored all nine of the Cavaliers' points in the first overtime. Nobody else from Cleveland even touched the ball.

James scored all nine of the Cavaliers' points in second overtime.

This was silly. James was going dribbling past one guy, juking another and dunking on a third. Prince got out of the way of one jam, wanting no part of that poster.

This was absurd. James was dribbling out the shot clock and falling backward and throwing in a 23-footer over Prince's condor wingspan.

This was insane. James was going left, losing Billups with a behind-the-back dribble to the right, then hitting a moving 22-footer with two seconds on the shot clock.

This was magical. This was memorable. This was the best performance of this NBA season, and yes I'm aware Kobe Bryant scored 65 points against Portland this season. That was nice, but that was Portland. And that was the regular season. This is Detroit, and this is Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

I want to say this was something we won't see again, but who would I be kidding? James is just 22, and Cleveland has shown no ability to surround him with talent. Bryant is bitching about his supporting cast? Check out the garbage James has to work with in Cleveland, Kobe. Shut up, Kobe.

Won't see this again? Shoot, I'm thinking we'll see it again Saturday in Game 6.

At least, I'm hoping.

[saporvida]

With that said, you have to admit, the Cavs are kind of winning in the postseason now, aren't they?

The first round was like an exhibition game against a college team, and the Nets were the worst team in the Semi-Finals by FAR.

But, now LeBron and the Cavs have proved a little something. I wouldn't say he's a Spurs killer, but his first 4 years could collectively be the best start to a career ever, numbers wise. I want to see if anybody else in history has done what LeBron has done in his 1st 4 years.

I hate the hype as much as the next guy, but good God he is amazing. And 22. :(

no no... dont get me wrong... lebron is amazing out on the court but he still isnt anywhere near what hes hyped up to be at least for now. i do think however in the near future he might live up to all the hype surrounding him that is going on at the moment.

im still calling it... pistons 4 cavs 3... REMATCH BABY!

[CosmicCowboy]

O pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze let this guy get his wish.

I've been rooting for Detroit up to this point, but I'm tired of watching them play like shit.

I want the savior of the NBA finals.

I want LeBron James.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze let the Spurs get the Cavs....

[saporvida]

Dolph?

http://www.momofreaksout.com/media/2/20061006-Lundgren.jpg

[ArgSpursFan]

Lebron is playing against a tired team.Don´t forget that.Most of the Pistons starters(including Prince)averaged tons of minutes in the reg season,and that´s not gonna be the same case with the spurs.

[CosmicCowboy]

Lebron is playing against a tired team.Don´t forget that.Most of the Pistons starters(including Prince)averaged tons of minutes in the reg season,and that´s not gonna be the same case with the spurs.

Excellent point. Flip is paying the price for his short rotation.

Billups, Hamilton, Sheed, and Prince all had over 45 minutes last game. Chauncey played 53:19.

LeGod was the only Cav with those kind of minutes (50:18) and he's 22.

[ArgSpursFan]

+ the spurs have a one week rest too.

[ducks]

Lebron is trully playing at a jordanesque level. Give the boy credit.
no mommy

[tlongII]

O pleeeeeeeeeeeeeze let this guy get his wish.

I've been rooting for Detroit up to this point, but I'm tired of watching them play like shit.

I want the savior of the NBA finals.

I want LeBron James.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze let the Spurs get the Cavs....


Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

[ducks]

thong you want a bet?
title bet
james owns ducks
your title ducks owns tlongII

[tlongII]

thong you want a bet?
title bet
james owns ducks
your title ducks owns tlongII

You're on.

[ducks]

cool
length?

[ducks]

one year
cavs win title you win
spurs win title you lose

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Detroit has more good players than Cleveland, but Cleveland has the best player in the sport, and arguably the best player in any sport. Forget the MVP voting this season that went (laughably) to Dirk Nowitzki. LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and before you try to argue that, watch a tape of the last 12 1/2 minutes of Thursday's game.

Jesus, one game and they crown him the best player in the game?? Give me a fucking break. I'm going to laugh so hard if the Pistons win the next two games. Seriously, today's sports media overhypes EVERYTHING.

[SRJ]

to many james threads

First of all, the word you want is "too".

But for you to complain about LeBron threads - when you are the one who posts a LeBron thread after any of the following situations:

Cavs Loss
Cavs Win, LeBron doesn't play well
(Ex) player/ (Ex) coaches reaction to LeBron's most recent bad game
A LeBron quote
Any article about LeBron so you can praise it for skewering James or bag on it for being complimentary to him

- well, it's the height of hypocrisy.

Just follow your own advice, the advice you once gave me. Ignore it.

I'd hate to be you, ducks, or Chris Childs. Defining myself as some sort of totally ignorant, unreasonable asshole whose life's mission is anonymously taking swipes at a specific famous person year after year after year. All you and Chris Childs accomplish on message boards is earning yourself rebukes like these from myself and other posters who just want to have a legitimate discussion about basketball.

Saying "I hate LeBron James" in 20,000 posts is equivalent to throwing your palms in the air and saying, "I know nothing about basketball, but I must somehow get noticed on a messageboard - credibility be damned."

Congratulations. I just gave you more attention.

[ducks]

bump

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I get the impression that you enjoy more seeing James fail than you do seeing the Spurs win... Give the man a rest bitch, and focus on celebrating the championship!

[ducks]

I bumped the thread because I made a title bet in the thread