When the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, it set a narrative that LeBron James didn’t have what Raptors-killer Paul Pierce often refers to as “it.” After taking a 2-1 series lead, the Akron, Ohio native scored just 46 points over the next three games as their Western Conference foes came back to win the title.
More than just the lack of scoring, it was the manner in which he was kept away from the paint by the likes of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson that raised doubts about his mental toughness to fight through in big moments.
“Sometimes you got it, sometimes you don’t,” James said when asked to assess his ability to play well under pressure after losing what was the deciding Game 6. “That was the case in this series. I was able to do things in the last two series to help us win ball games but wasn’t able to do that in this series.”
James further expanded and explained that he wasn’t able to “live” in the paint as he’d been accustomed to, attempting just 3.3 free-throw attempts in the 2011 Finals. Despite the unmatched physicality that he brought to the table, he lacked the level of shooting and ball handling that could open up those driving lanes when teams like the Mavericks tried to disrupt his dribble with smaller guys and be ready with a second defender if he managed to get by.
“Dwane Casey (then a Dallas assistant coach) drew up a game plan to take away things I was very good at and to make me do things that I wasn’t very good at,” James said when asked to look back at the Mavs-Heat series more recently. “So, he’s part of the reason I am who I am today.”
The loss took James to 2-6 in elimination games, and despite impressive overall averages of 29.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists, he shot just 43 per cent from the field and 27.2 per cent from beyond the arc in those games. Now, some of that certainly stems from his first stint in Cleveland where help was scarce, but for a man who has acknowledged being in pursuit of Michael Jordan’s ghost, it’s all about winning those big games.
Perhaps, like the man many now compare him to, James needed to learn to lose before he could win. The Bulls legend lost in the first-round in each of his first three playoff appearances, before getting taken out by Isiah Thomas’s Detroit Pistons for three more years after that to fall to 3-6 in elimination games. The rest, as they say, is history.
For James, since that humbling loss to the Mavericks, his teams have gone 10-3 in elimination games courtesy of mind-boggling averages of 35.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks, 52 per cent shooting from the field and 37.5 per cent from three-point range. He’s returned to living in the paint as well, attempting 10.3 free-throws.
For those of you keeping score at home,
| Facing elimination | Record | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | 2PT% | 3PT% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 12-9 | 33.5 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 53.5 | 33.9 | 71.9 |
| Michael Jordan | 6-7 | 31.3 | 7.9 | 7.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 48.6 | 33.3 | 75.7 |
This is why James wore a hat that read “Don’t Trip” after they surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Boston Celtics in their current series, it’s why he didn’t consider being tied 2-2 with the Raptors in the Conference Finals a couple of post-seasons ago “an adverse situation,” and it’s why he was able to lead his Cavaliers to the first-ever comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in an NBA Finals.
The 15-year veteran has had a spectacular post-season thus far, averaging 33.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.4 steals and a block while shooting 54.7 per cent from the field over 16 games. In addition to his transformation in elimination games, James is a ridiculous 12-1 in closeout games during his second stint in Cleveland to improve to 34-10 overall.
As he faces the opportunity to stave off elimination and potentially close the series out against Boston, here’s a look back at three of his most memorable performances when his team had been on the ropes, which also serves as a reminder that the Celtics will more than have their work cut out for them in order to advance.
2012 Eastern Conference Finals. Miami vs. Boston, Celtics led the series 3-2.
Facing elimination in enemy territory, James delivered a performance for the ages. He showed up with a razor-sharp focus right from the tip, scoring 30 first-half points on 12-of-14 shooting before finishing with 45 for the game on 19-of-26 from the field. As is to be expected with James, he threw in 15 rebounds and five assists for good measure.
The Heat went on to close the series with relative ease, winning Game 7 101-88 as James threw in a more subtle 31 points and 12 rebounds.
2013 NBA Finals. San Antonio vs. Miami, Spurs led the series 3-2.
This is a game that will be forever remembered for Ray Allen’s shot, but what many people forget is how James rescued the Heat after they trailed 75-63 heading into the final possession of the third quarter.
From getting to the line before the quarter ended to making a driving layup with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth, King James scored 13 points himself and assisted on two 3-pointers to account for 19 of his team’s points as part of a 24-9 run to give the Heat the lead.
Oh, there was this monstrous block on Tim Duncan, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdYrAv-EIwk
James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and that block, before capping off his championship season with 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals in Game 7.
2016 NBA Finals. Golden State vs. Cleveland, Warriors led the series 3-1.
His greatest masterpiece. It looked all but over when the Warriors took Game 4, but a Draymond Green suspension was the inch James needed to convert on the opportunity. With the help of Kyrie Irving, he averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, three steals and three blocks over the final three games to give Cleveland their first championship in 52 years.
James’s highlights are numerous, but his block on Andre Iguodala may yet stand as a legacy defining moment.
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