Ten years of LeBron James’ biggest career game

A little less than two weeks ago, Jimmy Butler compiled 47 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals in Boston, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, to save Miami and force a Game 7. Almost ten years earlier, still at TD Garden and in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James compiled 45 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists to save Miami and force a Game 7 against Boston.

Even if many similarities can exist between these two XXL performances, there is nevertheless a big difference between them: the context around these two games was not, but not at all identical.

First, because the Heat were the legitimate favorites in this series in 2012, with their “Three Amigos” in their prime, their status as defending NBA finalists and their second place in the East, in the regular season.

Second, because LeBron James was playing nothing less than a big part of his legacy on Thursday, June 7 of that year. Under fire since the summer of 2010, and his rocky departure from Cleveland to Miami, the “King” was even more so since the defeat of the Heat in the 2011 Finals, with this performance unworthy of his rank against the Mavericks (only 17.8 average points).

Legacy at stake in a hostile environment

Clearly, the native of Akron (Ohio) simply had no more right to make mistakes in 2011/12. Because, if he still did not manage to win a ring with his Florida ” superteam “, one hardly dares to imagine the reaction of the press and the public opinion.

Worse: a premature elimination of the South Beach players could have meant the end of the “Three Amigos”…

” If we had lost, Pat Riley could have broken it up and I didn’t want that,” the future Hall of Famer will recount in 2020 about his mentality leading up to that Game 6. ” It could have been the quickest split in history. Not only could it have broken everything, but my legacy would have taken a huge hit, if I hadn’t delivered a legendary performance. ”

As much to say that LeBron James, then in his ninth NBA season, found himself more than ever with his back to the wall, before moving in this hostile TD Garden, which historically did not succeed to him in the playoffs: only two victories in eleven games, before this evening of June 7, 2012.

” In an environment like this, you always want to deliver a great game,” explained the principal afterwards.

Precisely: the strength of the greatest lies in the fact that they manage to sublimate themselves in the moments when everything is against them. And what better opportunity for a player than to play a legendary match in such a context? Especially when a lot of people are waiting for you to fall and when you’ve been called the ” Chosen One ” for a decade now…

The perfect message

So the tension was palpable in Massachusetts. Champions in 2008 and NBA finalists in 2010, also with a “Big Three” that made people talk, the Celtics come to the end of the cycle but remain threatening. It’s no coincidence that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and company managed to play eye-to-eye with the Heat until Game 4, before taking Game 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena, at the end of the suspense.

In a strong position in front of their home crowd, one year after being eliminated by Miami in the conference semifinals, Boston players have a golden opportunity to reach the Finals, where their Thunder counterparts, who beat the Spurs the day before, are already. Inexperienced, the team of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden is a dangerous opponent, but not unbeatable. Typically the kind of matchup ideal to get a new ring …

Except that LeBron James also wants to reach the Finals to unlock his collective record (excluding national selection). And the least we can say is that the one who was just elected MVP for the third time will not do things by halves, to send a resounding message to the rest of the league.

In 45 minutes, the “King” compiles indeed the bagatelle of… 45 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists, all at 19/26 shooting, 2/4 at 3-points and 5/9 free throws!

” He was not afraid of anything, absolutely nothing, and it was contagious. No one likes to get dirty and be face down on the floor before they’re even dead. He showed great determination,” reacted his own coach Erik Spoelstra, who could only blow after the game.

A legendary halftime

Royal, tyrannical or divine: choose the term that suits you, but each one illustrates perfectly the domination of LeBron James on this Game 6 of all dangers. It didn’t take long for this domination to be felt.

“ He played incredibly well, he was focused from the first seconds of the game, I had never seen that from him before,” added Dwyane Wade, author of 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in the shadow of his teammate and friend.

Accurate in creation and omnipresent in rebounding, the Heat’s All-Star winger is also particularly aggressive in scoring. Between big dunk in transition, success in the post and mid-distance, “coast-to-coast” and 3-pts off the dribble, he walked on the Celtics in the first twelve minutes: 14 points, 6/7 on the shoot, for an advantage of 10 for his team (26-16).

At this point, you only have to look at LeBron James’ face to understand that he is on his way to an offensive card. In the second quarter, he then starts to martyr Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce or Mickaël Piétrus at mid-distance. It is surgical and the only way to stop him (everything is relative…) is to send him to the free-throw line. Because even when he is close to losing the ball or his headband falls off, the then 27-year-old manages to get out of it with great actions.

At the break, “LBJ” is literally flying over this Game 6, as proven by his terrible tap on the offensive rebound in front of Kevin Garnett, and he is already at… 30 points and 12/14 on the shot (!) at the break. Pulling all Miami up (55-42), without having given the impression to force a moment…

When the Prince becomes King…

Technically, LeBron James seems stronger and more accurate than ever. Boston’s defenders may take turns or come to his aid, but nobody is able to slow him down. The demolition of the “King” can continue quietly after the break and the mid-range shots or 3-points accumulate, as the clock runs. The gap in the score stabilizes around the ten units (74-61 after 36 minutes).

If Rajon Rondo tries as much as possible to respond to the superstar of the Heat, he is also targeted excessively in defense because of his small size. This is a blessing for a basketball player of the caliber of LeBron James, who displays no less than 41 points after three quarters, lining up a sublime 17/22 in shooting …

The last act will see LeBron James complete his demolition of the Celtics. Indeed, it is him who brings the coup de grace to the players of Massachusetts, with his assists to Dwyane Wade or with his umpteenth baskets at mid-distance and near the circle. The TD Garden is extinguished and his little protégés must finally lay down their arms (98-79) before this legendary performance.

“ I wanted to be there for my teammates, no matter what was going on throughout the game. It was a real test for us and it’s good to see that we were able to bounce back after the home loss in Game 5,” explained the former Cavaliers franchise player, in the wake of his huge Game 6.

The click he needed to become champion

As a symbol, 26 years after Michael Jordan’s 63 points, it is in Boston that LeBron James signs in turn the greatest performance of his career. He needed to succeed in such an outing to “grow up” permanently and he did not miss his appointment with history, to the great displeasure of his opponents.

” He was at ease throughout the evening, we did not enter his comfort zone,” said Rajon Rondo, while Doc Rivers was a little more complimentary of him. ” I hope from now on that you [journalists, ed.] will stop talking about LeBron and say that he does not respond in big games, because he was pretty good. ”

Besides Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and others Hakeem Olajuwon all had a reference game in the playoffs (if not several, for some). For LeBron James, it is obvious that this evening of June 7, 2012 is in his own Mount Rushmore. No doubt above those of May 31, 2007 (48 points in Detroit, including the last 25 of Cleveland) or June 13-16-19, 2016(comeback from 1-3 to 4-3 against the Warriors).

In terms of statistics, we will remember one thing in any case: before “LBJ”, only Wilt Chamberlain (1964) had compiled 45 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a playoff game. Since then, only Russell Westbrook (2018) and Kevin Durant (2021) have entered this ultra closed circle.

Finally, to reinforce the legend of this performance as it should be … legend, LeBron James did not stop there. On the contrary: he took the liberty of finishing off the Celtics in Game 7 (31 points, 12 rebounds) and then, during the Finals, he guided the Heat to the title and won his first Finals MVP award (with almost 29 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals on average). Unforgettable.

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