MIAMI – That should clear up all doubts about LeBron James and the Miami Heat, right?
Not if you saw James after Saturday night’s win over the Boston Celtics. Instead of celebrating, he headed off the court almost as soon as the Eastern Conference championship trophy was awarded.
As big a relief as it was to beat Boston, that’s all it really was. A big dose of temporary relief.
Things will return to normal soon enough for James. Janet Jackson will again provide the soundtrack for his life.
What have you done for me lately?
How about 31 points and 12 rebounds in Game 7? How about 11 points, two assists, three rebounds and zero turnovers in the fourth quarter?
Those final 12 minutes began with the scored tied at 73. Then James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh swelled into a Big Three tsunami that engulfed the Celtics.
“I was trying to push every button we had,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said.
When James is on, there is no off button. He reminded us of that with his epic Game 6, when he singlehandedly blew out the Celtics in Boston.
It was one of the great pressure performances in NBA history. Even the LeBron bashers genuflected, though they were quick to point out James didn’t have to make any clutch plays down the stretch.
He had to on Saturday. It helped that Wade got going and Bosh looked as if he’d never missed three weeks with a strained abdominal. But who are we kidding?
It all gets back to James. Everything has gotten back to James since The Decision, when many Americans decided LeBron was no longer welcome in their neighborhood.
He deserved the first ton or two of grief, especially after the Big Three proclaimed they’d win more titles than Jack Nicklaus. But on the Bad Guy scale, James doesn’t register.
The worst you can say is he’s vanished at some very inopportune times. I’m not excusing that, but the bashers have turned into Birthers. They totally discount contradictory evidence.
I could recount some of James’ playoff masterpieces in Cleveland. Only it would be as pointless as trying to convince skeptics that James has arrived in full this postseason.
So what if he had five 30-point, 10-rebound games against Boston? He took only four shots in the final 7 ½ minutes of Game 5. That proved he’s still the same scaredy-cat he was in last year’s Finals against Dallas.
You’d think Kobe Bryant never missed a clutch shot or Michael Jordan never passed the ball to Steve Kerr in the final seconds. James is held to a completely new standard of excellence. He can’t win for winning.
He could hit a jumper at the buzzer to beat Oklahoma City in Game 7, and it wouldn’t be enough for some people. They’d say, ‘That’s one ring for LeBron. Talk to me when he has six like Jordan.’
“He’s playing at a historic level during the playoffs, driving us with his will,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We do not take his talent or his will or his competitiveness for granted.”
If will had a face, it has turned into a blank expression. James has looked like an All-Star from the planet Vulcan the past two games. There’s been little emotion despite plenty of opportunities to show it.
Like the dunk that gave Miami the lead for good Saturday night. Or the 30-foot jumper that made it 91-84. When that rainbow went in, you knew the Heat weren’t going to pull a Dallas.
Poor Doc knew it too.
After the game, Rivers gave James a hug and a word of encouragement.
“I told him to go do it,” Rivers said. “He gets too much heat.”
James knew he was asking for it when he came to Miami. Though he probably didn’t know he was asking for quite so much.
“As far as being scrutinized, I don’t get involved in that,” he said. “I just try to do whatever it takes to help our team win.”
They won a big one Saturday night. Big enough for an awards presentation afterward. Owner Micky Arison said a few words, as did Spoelstra.
Two of the Big Three got their turns at the microphone. Wade was asked what makes James the player he is.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I wish I did.”
James stood off to the side, impervious to it all. When the ceremony ended, most of the Heat players hung around for hugs and kisses from fans and friends.
James walked to the tunnel right away. He knows that as much he proved in this series, he hasn’t proven a thing yet.
source: aol.sportingnews.com
