LeBron subbed himself out of the NBA Finals with 4 minutes left on clock, admits defeat
With 4:03 left in a game that had long been all over but the crying, LeBron James took what could be his final curtain call in Cleveland on Friday night.
With the Cavaliers trailing Golden State 102-77 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, James essentially admitted defeat and exited the game for the last time.
.@KingJames basically got the star player March Madness applause. You know, just in case he leaves early. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/zABvV4RPaG
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) June 9, 2018
The Warriors went on to win 108-85 to complete the sweep and win their third title in four years.
On his way out, James made a point to slap hands with all five Warriors starters — Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodola, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry — before hitting the bench to a standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd.
With James set to become a free agent this summer, many believe that that could be his swan song in Cleveland.
James was asked about his intentions this off season in the past game press conference.
“Do you feel like you’ve played your last game for the Cavs?” a reporter asked.
“I have no idea at this point,” responded James.
“One thing I’ve always done is consider, obviously, my family,” he said. “Understanding where my boys are at this point in their age; they were a lot younger the last time I made a decision like this four years ago. I got a teenage boy, a preteen and a little girl right now that wasn’t around as well.
“So, sitting down and considering everything. My family is a huge part of whatever I decide to do in my career and they will continue to be that so I don’t have an answer for you right now.”
LeBron James has lost 6 times in the NBA Finals, 3rd-most in NBA history among players to play at least 1 game in each Finals (Jerry West, 8; Elgin Baylor 7).
It is also the most losses in the NBA Finals by a former MVP. pic.twitter.com/VwuN04K0Ga
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2018
If it is his final game in Cleveland, he leaves his second stint there with one championship and four Finals appearances.
Statistical leaders in each category over the last four NBA Finals:
Points:
1. LeBron James: 727
2. Stephen Curry: 558Rebounds:
1. LeBron James: 253
2. Tristan Thompson: 199Assists:
1. LeBron James: 205
2. Stephen Curry: 138Blocks:
1. LeBron James: 28
2. Draymond Green: 22— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 9, 2018
On its face, it would be hard for him to feel great about going 1-3 against the Warriors in the Finals, but if you look at each series individually, it’s probably as well as could be expected to even get one championship.
In the first meeting of the two teams in 2015, the Cavaliers were playing without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, so it was impressive to even win two games.
In 2016, the Cavs won, erasing a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3 and bring the first NBA championship to Cleveland. They beat a Warriors team that had set a regular-season record by going 73-9.
Last year the Cavs had their full complement of players, including James, Irving and Love, but they were no match for the Warriors, who added Durant to an All-Star lineup. Golden State won 4-1.
With LeBron James out of the game, he finished with 748 points this postseason. That is the 2nd-most points in a single postseason in NBA history. Michael Jordan has the most with 759 points in 1992. pic.twitter.com/6XR5LDtM6z
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2018
This year, most people thought it was a foregone conclusion that the Warriors would dispose of an outmanned Cavs squad. They went into the series as huge underdogs and were dispatched in four games.
Things might have been different if they had stolen Game 1 had J.R. Smith not committed a colossal blunder. And they had the lead late in Game 3 but couldn’t close the deal. Had Cleveland been able to finish off those games, this would have been a vastly different series.
James, who reportedly punched a white board in frustration after the Game 1 loss, had a historically good playoff run, scoring 748 points, second only to Michael Jordan’s 759 in 1992.
What will his legacy be in Cleveland, if this is indeed the end of the road there?
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