The Cleveland Cavaliers have the oldest average age in the postseason. Now they wait for their Eastern Conference opponent after completing a sweep versus the Toronto Raptors.
Wait.
LeBron James and his teammates have the oldest average age in the postseason.
James is vital and has been incredible. This is arguably his best career year not completing the current playoff run he is on. What is the word above greatness? That is what James is at this moment.
For the first time in his royal 15-year NBA career, James played in all 82 games of the regular season. In the process, this regular season James became the first player in league history to win ten straight division titles (two in Cleveland, four straight in Miami and another four straight with Cleveland). Here is icing on the cake; James passed Kareem Abdul Jabaar on the all-time 30-point game list. These are just a few items on his resume before he hangs up the Nikes.
That is the regular season.
In the playoffs, James had Cleveland fans on the edge of their seats facing elimination in the opening round to the Indiana Pacers and just when they counted James and the rest of his old teammates out, James pulled the plug on the dinosaurs from the north with a fantastic game-winning shot in game three.
The shot against the Raptors is his best game-winning shot up to the present moment.
LeBron goes left, shoots right and connects off the glass.
You never want the best player to beat you.
I found out about Raptors.
The narrative at the start of the series was Toronto had depth, youth, healthy, the number one seed in the east and owned the most consistent lineup. For the third straight year, they were victims of James. Raptors have lost ten straight playoff games versus the Cavaliers.
“We have had four-five seasons wrapped in one. We talked about it all year. We know what the narrative is about our team,” James stated. “ To be able to put ourselves in the position where we represent the Eastern Conference in the finals, that’s all you can ask for.”
If James Harden the favorite to win the MVP this season, played on this Cavaliers team, Harden does not get them to the Eastern Conference finals. James is the best player on the globe at this moment.
“They have not lost to any other team the last three years but us,” Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue stated. “We have a good team, having LeBron to get through is tough.”
Cleveland’s back in the East finals again despite a turbulent regular season and a bumpy start to the playoffs after the Pacers pushed the Cavs to the brink of elimination.
LeBron James has led his team in points, rebounds, and assists in 45 playoff games. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan had 45 such games combined.
Let me put my foot in the deep end of the pool for a moment.
This has quietly become a conversation again. It is a testament to who LeBron has become. Years past I would bring up the comparison of Jordan and LeBron and would not complete a sentence in the process.
These days it is a slight bit of a conversation, even though a majority of people will say Jordan remains “The G.O.A.T,” LeBron is getting votes.
This is becoming a compliment to King James, which he is allowed into this group of one, Michael Jordan. Is James there with Jordan, not yet. Kobe mirrored his entire game around Jordan and won five titles, but only close. However, considering the number of times, James played for a title needs to come into play.
Is LeBron there? No. In four years, can LeBron be considered the greatest player of all-time? Yes. His stats will be in every category. James is in the conversation now. You have to appreciate what you see. Jordan is the greatest player. However, James is doing things I have not seen. It is unfair to compare their talents.
James entered Game 4 with 348 points in these playoffs, the most through 10 games by any player since Jordan (354) in 1992.
The conversation continues. All of a sudden, the dialogue is not just old anymore.
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