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(CNN) – LeBron James has many things on his mind, but right now his focus is on helping his Los Angeles Lakers team win a championship the year he lost his most beloved former player, Kobe Bryant.
Win this title and the Lakers equate the Boston Celtics’ NBA record of 17 rings.
Win this title and James secures his fourth NBA ring with his third team.
Win this title and James consolidates his legacy as one of the greatest in the NBA.
“We have bigger fish to fry. We understand there is a bigger goal,” James said after the Lakers secured the franchise’s 32nd trip to the NBA Finals.
“We are going to enjoy tonight, as we should, because this is not promised every year,” added James, after the Lakers secured the Western Conference title with a 4-1 series over the Denver Nuggets.
“We can’t take this for granted, because this doesn’t happen to anyone every year.”
For a man who has reached the finals in nine of the last 10 seasons, and 10 of the last 13, you would forgive James for taking it for granted.
As it is, it seems hungrier than ever.
It’s been 10 years since the legendary Los Angeles franchise reached the NBA Finals, the longest period of time the Lakers have not reached the championship series since 1980.
When Bryant retired in 2016, the Lakers finished that season with a 17-65 record, the worst in franchise history.
He hasn’t even made the NBA Playoffs since 2013, the speed with which James’ performances and leadership have put the franchise back on the winning track is a testament to his determination and talent. James joined the Lakers on a four-year, $ 154 million contract in July 2018.
James, 35, has four triple-doubles in the Playoffs this year, averaging 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists.
“When you step back and look and wonder what LeBron is doing at this stage in his career, how he keeps finding ways to get better and better, and take the team he’s in to new heights, that defines greatness. “, He said. Nuggets coach Michael Malone paid tribute to James after Game 5.
A special mention must go to Anthony Davis, James’ wing.
When the Lakers traded for Davis, many thought the Los Angeles team had given up too much to the New Orleans Pelicans for power forward after they sent Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks in the other side.
Now it seems like a masterstroke.
Davis was very important during the regular season and the Lakers’ playoff career.
His puncher in the second game against the Nuggets led the Lakers to 2-0. The game was won 105-103, but it’s the kind of loss that arguably leaves a bigger psychological scar on the loser than the game itself.
LeBron and the pressure
The Finals mark the end of a long and tumultuous season for the NBA, and especially for the Lakers franchise.
During preseason, the franchise was in China when it was caught in the middle of a political storm between the league and China after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
In January, Bryant’s death shook the franchise that the great NBA had represented its entire career.
Then came the Covid-19 pandemic and the league’s suspension for four months in March.
In May, the assassination of George Floyd shocked the entire United States and the world, sparking protests in the streets and on the field that are still continuing.
The NBA then resumed the season in late July inside a bubble at Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.
James acknowledged this after Game Five: “It’s been a crazy obstacle course for our franchise.”
And the crazy obstacle course is not over yet.
If the Finals go to seven games, the NBA season will end only 10 days before the anniversary of the year it began.
The marathon season and James’ ability to stay on top of himself and his teammates is a testament to his mental toughness.
He led the Lakers to continued success when the franchise, its fans, and the league were mourning Bryant.
He led his team to victory as many people took to the streets to protest police brutality against Blacks, while being one of the leading voices in the league on the Black Lives Matter issue.
His team even voted to end the season prematurely after the Jacob Blake shooting, such was their commitment to the idea of social justice.
They finally continued.
Pairing
Having dominated the East with Cleveland and Miami, many said James wasn’t a “great” until he could do the same in the West.
Now he has proven them wrong, clinching first place in the West and now reaching the Finals with the Lakers as well.
Eight months after Bryant’s death, he is expected to hand over a title now more than ever as the Lakers honor the memory and legacy of the former team star.
Ironically, the Lakers will face the team with which James won his first two titles: the Miami Heat, an underdog team that has been underrated all season and the playoffs.
The Heat made the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East. They have lost just three games of 15, the same as the Lakers, en route to the Finals, after beating MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and their No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the second round.
No one expected the Heat to be there, and here they are.
The team features a seemingly perfect mix of NBA veterans and exciting young talents.
Perennial misfit Jimmy Butler, who is on his fourth team in the past four years, leads the team and is congratulated by veterans Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder.
Joining them in the starting lineup are 2020 All-Star Bam Adebayo, 23, and Duncan Robinson, 26, a player who in 2014 sought experience in sports media during college as he did not believe he would. would achieve as a player. Pro.
Three years later, he holds the Heat’s franchise record for the most successful 3-point shots in a single season and is in the NBA Finals.
Two other bench players the Lakers should watch out for are veteran Andre Iguodala, a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, and rookie Tyler Herro, a 20-year-old who, after losing 37 points to the Boston Celtics. off the bench in the fourth game, he was described by his coach Erik Spoelstra as possessing “a bravery that is rare.”
This Miami Heat team has been underrated, underrated and underrated all season long.
The pressure is on the Lakers and James.
But we know how it copes with pressure.
This story was first published on CNN.com, “NBA Finals: LeBron James Finds New Ways to Define Greatness.”
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