When Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown said he had “no fear whatsoever of LeBron James,” he looked like this:
The Warriors are damn good, but you can’t bet against LeBron James
James has a history of beating the odds. You can bet on him to do it again.
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
When Boston went on to lose that game by 44 and trail by as many as 50, Brown looked like this:
Whether it’s a team competing for a championship, playoff contention, or just looking to string two wins together, fear of The King is ubiquitous throughout the NBA. Why? Because he’s pounded some of the best Eastern Conference teams in one of the longest exhibitions of sustained dominance in NBA history.
James has been to the NBA Finals seven consecutive seasons and has become the first player in NBA history to lead two franchises each to the Finals four times.
LeBron hasn’t lost an Eastern Conference playoff series since 2010. That’s before his current teammates Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson got to Cleveland, and before the NBA’s new influx of All-Stars — John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, Isaiah Thomas, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Giannis Antetokounmpo — were drafted.
When it comes to LeBron, there’s a reality that must settle in: It’s just unwise to bet against him.
This is the same guy who was down 3-2 to the Boston Celtics in 2012 before scoring 45 points on 73 percent shooting to even the series in Game 6. He then finished the Celtics off with 31 points in Game 7 before beating the Thunder for the first championship of his career.
It’s just unwise to bet against LeBron James.
This is the same guy who was also down 3-2 in the NBA Finals against San Antonio in 2013 before a 32-point triple-double (coupled with a timely Ray Allen corner three) whisked the Spurs’ championship aspirations away. James sealed the deal with a 37-point Game 7 to pickup his second chip.
It’s just unwise to bet against LeBron James.
This is the same guy who was down, 2-1, against a loaded Chicago Bulls team that had Derrick Rose, Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and a bevy of three-point shooting reserves. He responded with a 38-point Game 5 that sucked the life out of the Bulls before handing them a 21-point elimination defeat in Game 6.
It’s just unwise to bet against LeBron James.
This is, after all, the same guy who trailed the Golden State Warriors, 3-1, in the NBA Finals last season. We all know how that series ended.
James posted back-to-back 41-point games to tie the series at three apiece. And although it was Irving’s turnaround fadeaway that won Game 7, James’ iconic block on Andre Iguodala along with a triple-double powered Cleveland to its first championship in franchise history.
Under his leadership, the Cavaliers defeated the team that had just broken the NBA’s record for wins in a regular season (73).
You can’t even bet against LeBron when all indications point towards a loss.
The Cavs were down 25 as recently as Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers in the first round. James hung a 41-point triple-double on the Pacers’ heads to turn a 25-point deficit into a five-point victory.
The odds may be stacked higher against James than ever before.
That same Warriors team added former MVP and four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant over the summer, and his arrival has reshaped the way the Warriors play both defense and offense.
But if there’s one thing LeBron’s consistently spectacular play has demanded over the years, it’s consideration. Yes, the Warriors are the NBA’s Goliath, but the Cavaliers are no David. They’re as equal of a juggernaut as there is in the NBA.
Cleveland swept through the first two rounds of the East playoffs and missed a third sweep by just one lazy game. And leading up to the Finals, James has averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He’s shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from downtown.
Kyrie Irving unlocked unguardable scorer Level 5,000 when he poured on 42 points in Game 4 against the Celtics with LeBron on the bench in foul trouble. Kevin Love is averaging a playoff career-high 17.2 points on 47.5 percent three-point shooting — the third-best percentage of any player to attempt at least five threes a game in the postseason. The moving parts have been upgraded and are healthier and deeper than last year.
Against a Warriors team boasting two MVPs, James is ready to bring a second consecutive championship to a Cleveland city that had gone 52 years without a trophy.
They may have to match up against one of the more stacked teams in NBA history, but the Cavaliers, who looked vulnerable late in the regular season, appeared almost indestructible entering the Finals.
You can have the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Given their roster makeup, that might just be the smart bet. But one thing’s always certain: Be very careful betting against LeBron James.
That’s why I’m picking the Cavs to win this series in 7
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