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LeBron James has appeared in multiple NBA Finals. His first was in 2007 during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over the years he’s had multiple stints as a member of the Miami Heat with the Big three era alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
A native of northeast Ohio, James returned to Cleveland and formed a big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Drafted by the Cavs as their first overall pick in 2003, James helped guide the Cavs to a Championship win in 2016.
Now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, James and fellow NBA All Star, Anthony Davis are the face of a team that currently holds a 2-0 lead on the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
James led the NBA assists per game in the NBA’s regular season. A walking triple double threat,he can create havoc on the court in a myriad of ways: off the dribble, with his midrange game, by posting up or by drawing the double team and kicking the basketball out to an open teammate on the three point line for a clutch three point bucket.
Ahead of Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals, I checke in with Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard and asked him what version of LeBron James would need to show up for his Lakers to defeat the Heat. “That’s an interesting question,” he said.
“I certainly don’t think that it’s the first Cavs LeBron because obviously he just wasn’t mentally ready to lead a team to a championship. I think he was physically ready, I always thought that he sold himself short by going to Miami and playing with the other two superstars; [Chris] Bosh and [Dwayne] Wade because he had the ability, I think to lead that group of roleplayers in Cleveland to a championship; but maybe he knew better than me and others because you saw in his first year in Miami that he wasn’t ready and so, he learned from that and obviously he got much stronger. But I think to be honest, he just needs to play like the Lakers LeBron; which as you said at points he’s bring out that Miami LeBron in bursts but, I like — one thing he’s doing now and I think this will help him perhaps win more championships is that as the point guard or when Rondo is at the point and he’s [LeBron] is at the small forward, he’s kind of fitting more into the system than just being the system. And some of that is because he’s willingly letting AD — I don’t wanna say like AD doesn’t deserve it or haven’t earned it… but AD is being the leading scorer so LeBron’s playing more of a point guard role and he’s doing all the other things and he’s — the system does everything; the system doesn’t revolve around LeBron like it has throughout his career everywhere else he’s been. And I think that’s good because, obviously he’s still dominant but it allows an Anthony Davis to be dominant and it allows a playoff Rondo to have his moments and other guys to shine.”
GettyAnthony Davis attends Vanity Fair’s 2020 Oscar party with longtime love Marlen P.
The Lakers brought Davis to the City of Angels in a June 17,2019 blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that shipped Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks to the Pelicans in exchange for The Brow.
Broussard’s point of view is in alignment with Magic Johnson’s assessment. “When we traded for Anthony Davis, it’s made life easier for LeBron,” the Lakers legend and Naismith Hall of Famer told me back in the spring.
“LeBron’s made life easier for AD as well.
And now lets see what happens. Going into the Playoffs because I think that the duo, they’re playing as best than anybody. It’s been amazing to watch the elevation of Anthony Davis and I think he’s doing a tremendous job for the Lakers and LeBron has been dominant from day one. It’s been amazing.”
Guided by head coach, Frank Vogel, the Lakers finished in first place in the NBA’s Western Conference standings with a 52-19 record behind the play of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their supporting cast of Dwight Howard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Danny Green and Alex Caruso.James was a runner up in the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award race and averaged 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists in the NBA’s regular season. Davis averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game for the purple and gold.
“I think if LeBron plays this way and stays physically near the top of his game, I think he can win more championships like this,” Broussard told Heavy Live With Scoop B.
“Because the natural transition would be AD kind of becomes that number one offensive guy and the best player LeBron is the second best guy but, he’s still a top five top ten player in the world and he’s running the point getting everybody involved. So depending on how the Lakers build around him and AD, I think their championship window will NOT close for another two or three years.”
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