LeBron James ignoring friends' calls during bid for ring - FOX 4 News

Source: FOX Sports

MIAMI -- Twitter isn't the only thing LeBron James has shut down during this postseason.

"His phone is off during the playoffs," James' former high school coach, Keith Dambrot, said Wednesday about how focused the Miami star has been.

James last sent a tweet on April 27, the day before the playoffs started. And that's about the last time Dambrot, who is very close to James, could send a text directly to James' phone and expect it to be read.

In order to now contact James, Dambrot said he either sends a text to Mike Mancias, James' trainer, or to Randy Mims, his personal assistant. It is then shown to James, who requests any response to be sent.

There's no word on whether James has asked the post office to hold all his mail during the playoffs.

Regardless, this is one focused guy who will try in Thursday's Game 5 of the Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena to win the first championship of his nine-year NBA career.

His Heat lead Oklahoma City 3-1, the first time in his three Finals appearances the Akron, Ohio, native has been within one game of a crown.

"[A championship] is what he wants really badly," according to Dambrot, who is now University of Akron coach and coached James his freshman and sophomore seasons (1999-2001) just down the road at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. "He's one of the greatest players of all time, but he's never going to get his due until he gets that title."

Dambrot added, "I hope he finishes the job, and he really gets what he deserves. He's always tried to play basketball the right way and he gets undue criticism, harsh criticism... I've been texting his trainer during the playoffs to make sure he keeps his raincoat on and deflects all that criticism."

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