For avid followers of the pro hoops scene, the 2018 Playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular. Games have been competitive for the most part, and even when they aren’t, the wattage level ensures compelling viewership. Certainly, the stars have shown up — some, needless to say, more than others, and LeBron James, not surprisingly, most of all. He may be an old 33, having burned rubber for 44,298 minutes through 1,143 regular season games, but he has arguably never been better.
True, James isn’t perfect. He casts such an imposing shadow over those around him that others — Kyrie Irving most famously — just want out. And up until he claimed his first National Basketball Association championship six years ago, critics have had reason to question his up-and-down performances in the playoffs: even fans remember the disappearing act he pulled during his first Finals appearance in 2011. That said, his capacity to elevate not merely teammates but entire franchises since then cannot be denied; there’s no other marquee name who can be counted on to produce with consistency regardless of the quality of the supporting cast.
To be sure, the regularity with which James has been able to churn out greatness creates a numbing effect. He’s only human and likewise prone to making mistakes, and whenever he does, observers invariably measure him against his best and find him wanting. In part, it’s because of the level of scrutiny he faces, especially from naysayers who can’t wait for, and thereby feast on, his stumbles. In larger measure, it’s because he has spoiled watchers in the soc-med era; in this day and age of instant gratification, the constancy of his efforts is akin to an opiate that, when withdrawn, clouds rational thought.
In any case, it’s to James’ credit that he manages to at least come close to the impossibly high standards all and sundry set for him. The 2018 postseason, in particular, has been his stage for one highlight reel after another. The latest he came up with yesterday involved nailing a running, one-handed, to-the-left fadeaway jumper off one leg and via the glass with no time left on the clock; it wrapped up a 38-six-seven effort that handed the Cavaliers their third straight win in the conference semifinals and all but doomed the Raptors to yet another summer of torment.
Parenthetically, fans would do well to consider this: James’ last field-goal make yesterday was his second buzzer beater of the current postseason (half of the number gold-standard Michael Jordan had in 13 postseasons all told), and it left him just two points shy of a fifth 40-point outing. Included in his otherworldly norms of 34.4 markers, 9.9 caroms, 9.0 dimes, 1.3 swipes, and 1.0 rejection are two triple-doubles. In other words, he’s doing everything, and — to be more precise in light of the Cavaliers’ skills-challenged position — exactly what’s needed to succeed.
Before the playoffs began, advanced analytics had the Cavaliers encountering trouble against the Pacers in the first round and likely bowing out against the Raptors in the next. The math didn’t lie; their defensive efficiency was 29th in the league, dropping their overall rating to middling at best. Still, not a few quarters figured they deserved to be given the benefit of the doubt. Forget logic; after all, they had James, he of the streak of seven consecutive Finals appearances.
As things have developed, emotion proves closer to the truth. Against all odds, James is running roughshod over supposedly superior opposition. He has met — make that exceeded — expectations, and the way he’s playing, he’s able to get by with a modicum of help. Can he sustain his blistering assault on the record books? The mind says no, but heart has won out so far, and he has given every indication that it will continue to for some time to come.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
