The 2012 NBA All-Star Game was more or less a dunk contest for three quarters, but tightened up late because of LeBron James. James would score 36 points in the game while grabbing six rebounds and passing out seven assists, and made 15 of his 23 shots and was 6-of-8 from three-point range, but the final moments of the game provided a familiar script for the Heat superstar: in the clutch, he chose to defer, and his team didn't come through, with Deron Williams missing a three that would have given the Eastern Conference the lead.
NBA All-Star Game 2012: LeBron James Comes Up Short Late
Instead, the East fell, 152-149. Is it any surprise that the Cleveland Plain Dealer took note of James’ shortcomings? Tom Reed writes that LeBron passed despite Kobe Bryant chiding him for doing so:
Adding to the surreal finish was the fact Bryant, representing the West, apparently barked at James for not taking the last-second shot.
“Yeah, he was telling me to shoot it,” James said. “I [saw] my teammate open for a split second, I told him I [saw] him open for the first time and I didn’t release the ball. When I [try] to throw it late, that’s usually what happens and it results in a turnover.
For full coverage of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, follow our StoryStream. For more on Durant and the Thunder, visit Welcome to Loud City, and for more on LeBron and the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier.
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