His highlights captivate fans and players the world over. His unselfish attitude and playful demeanor hint at days of yesteryear in the NBA when guys like the Iceman and Pistol Pete, Stockton and Malone, and Magic and “Big Game James” were at their prime. His passion and desire for excellence are unsurpassed. All these attributes seemed to meld together at the right time this year for superstar athlete LeBron James, as he has been named the league’s 2008-2009 Most Valuable Player. But is that all he should expect this year?
With the way James has been playing in this year’s playoffs, the answer is a resounding no. He’s led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the hottest start this postseason, and there aren’t any signs of slowdown. He handily disposed of perennial playoff contenders in the Detroit Pistons in four games, averaging 32 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists in the first round. Now after breaking out the brooms on the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals, James has only gotten more focused, dismantling the defense in every way imaginable. Double teams, triple teams, traps, single coverage – it doesn’t matter what obstacle is thrown at him, LeBron James finds a way to win.
LeBron’s Focus Has Been Contagious
The thing that most people hear and see from James during this year’s playoffs, however, is not his gravity-defying tomahawk dunks, precision passing or stymied defensive prowess, but his dissatisfaction with how his team is playing, even when they’ve destroyed their opponents by 20 or more. His focus and determination to succeed is unmatched this year, as it seems nothing or no one can curtail his quest for an NBA championship. If there is a slight defensive breakdown, James won’t mince words getting his teammates back on track. He is so in sync with his coaching staff, head coach Mike Brown probably doesn’t need to say much during games—LeBron is that much of an extension of the coach on the floor.
Even in the Cavs’ 84-74 series-clinching victory at Philips Arena in Atlanta, James was focused on improvements. “It's always good to have games like this because they help you along in the playoffs," James said to reporters about their uncharacteristic offensive lapses in the two road games of the series. "The last two games we've had a little adversity.” It’s an attitude like this that motivates James and his teammates, and strike fear into the hearts of their opponents.
“We play well, we execute our game plan, we give ourselves a good chance to win,” James said on NBA.com after Game 3. “If we do that and lose, we’ll be satisfied with that. We don’t want to go down and lose not executing our game plan, not playing the way we know we’re capable of playing. We look forward to the challenge.”
How Dominant Has LeBron Been in the Playoffs?
Has anyone been as assertive in the postseason as James? Magic and the “Showtime” Lakers took teams apart in the ‘80s with their infectious passing and fast-break offense, but that team consisted of Kareem and Worthy in addition to Johnson; opposing teams couldn’t match up to that arsenal. MJ and the Bulls and Bird’s Celtics may be a better comparison, with a slew of players that knew their roles and made the superstars’ effectiveness that much greater. Bird had McHale; Jordan had Pippen; LeBron has… Well, who? If the team’s mantra of “One Goal” is any indication, it doesn’t really matter who’s in the trenches with him.
Cleveland’s second leading scorer at 17.8 PPG (15.1 for the playoffs) is Mo Williams, a player acquired this year from Milwaukee to bring stability to their offense and provide a bona fide scorer to complement King James. They have also been blessed with a relatively healthy Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who played in 65 of the 82 games this year. The 7’3” center brings a solid 12 to 15 points to the team and spreads the offense with his outside touch as well as his low-post abilities. Honorable mention also goes to veterans Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Ben Wallace, the only player on the roster with a ring.
Delonte West Makes the Cavs Go
But the X-factor this year has been a player James dubs “Red,” guard Delonte West. The fifth-year man from St. Joseph’s University (PA) provides quickness when slashing to the goal, a deft touch outside the arc and the oft-nightly duty of playing defense against the opposing team’s premier player. As James admits, how “Red” goes, so go the Cavaliers.
“He’s the glue to our whole team,” James said to reporters after series-clinching Game 4 versus the Hawks. “When he gets into attack mode and does the things [he does], he’s one of those guys who is unguardable.”
The Cavs Are In It to Win It
But make no mistake, when the game is on the line there’s no one more willing to prove he’s the number one option than LeBron. The level of trust James has of his teammates fuels the fire that make the Cleveland Cavaliers go. Even with the week-long layoffs the team had after the first round versus Detroit and while the Orlando Magic dispatched the Boston Celtics, the focus on the task at hand isn’t lost on the team-- maybe because the hunger of the MVP alone has been enough to sustain the Cavs into reaching the pinnacle of the sport and achieving NBA supremacy. After Cleveland disposed of the Hawks, James spoke to reporters not proclaiming victory, but rather anticipation.
"We're excited because we're playing great basketball," says James, "but we're not satisfied."
Omar Bobb-Semple - Omar Bobb-Semple has made Los Angeles, CA his home for the last five years. This New York City native sought fame and fortune, but instead ...
Join the Conversation