Published: 22 minutes ago
Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE
LeBron James may be in position to be the clutch player the world has always wanted him to be. Well he won’t be Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals clutch but he may be considered as a clutch player now.
James has become a new player with a new confidence, a new understanding of the game of basketball, and ultimately has relinquished the pressure he has carried since he entered the league.
In his young years as a Cleveland Cavalier James always had the ball in his hands when a game was on the line. In his very first playoff game in 2006 James had a triple double and made the game winning layup on a baseline drive to the basket with less than four seconds left in overtime. James also had a game winning layup on a drive to the basket and also made a game winning assists to Damon Jones who made a corner three pointer. Also James led the league in fourth quarter points per game during his tenure in Cleveland.
It seemed up until the 2012 postseason that James ran away from the big shot for fear of failure or persecution if he missed. After winning a title that insecurity no longer will exist. James is comfortable with his abilities and will make the right pass or take the right shot at the end of a game.
James has a game similar to Magic Johnson. Johnson did not become the greatest point guard of all-time from taking game winning shots and for the majority of his career he was the player feeding Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who would then make the clutch shot or free throws. But Johnson after winning was able to make a few big shots. The most memorable is the sky hook from the free throw line in Boston Garden in the 1987 NBA Finals.
In other words James now an NBA champion will be more comfortable taking the big shot but will still look to make the right play.
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