Is it the shoes? It’s gotta be the shoes.
That Air Jordan-Spike Lee quote may not sound familiar to young readers but one thing that does is the question of what happened to LeBron James in a key postseason game.
James picked one heck of a time to have his worst playoff game ever. It was his single worst point production in 90 postseason contests.
Worse than his stats in Game 4 is the notion that James may have just shown himself to be exactly what all the critics have said he is. Furthermore, did his play indicate that there may be an internal rift brewing between the Heat players?
Even the glory that was Camelot came to an end when Lancelot and Arthur feuded.
It was post-Game 3, Wade sat at the post-game conference and stated, “I understand the moment and took it upon myself as a leader to lead my guys. I’ve been here before so just trying to lead and my guys did a great job of following that lead.”
Was that the first crack in the Heat’s armor?
At no point in the Chicago or Boston series did we ever hear LeBron echoing that he had to be the leader and have his guys follow him.
Did this rub LeBron the wrong way? Did he decide to check out because of what happened after Game 3?
To say there is a looming Wade/James feud is premature and speculative. They are supposed to be best of friends after all.
Still you can love someone for years and as soon as you move in and live together for six months, you may come to find that you can’t coexist with this person. At least not when you have to share the same home.
So I got a lot of heat last night, (no pun intended) for questioning whether James tanked Game 4 for Miami.
After watching the games replay twice and focusing solely on James, I now have little doubt that this guy is a spoiled brat.
After Wade got so much praise for Game 2 and Game 3, James ran into the bunker and left his buddies to fight it out on their own. Three baskets and two trips to the line all game? Are you kidding me?
Miami is going to win the title in Game 6. They will win Game 5 and close it out at home, but where once that would have been the ultimate vindication it now may not be the fix-all that many expected.
Not when you had James play a game like he did last night. Not when in the NBA Finals you decide to have one of your most unproductive and passive games in your career. Not when you’re getting outplayed by a 38 year old and wannabe tough guys that are four to six inches shorter than you.
Definitely not when you allow Jason Terry to talk trash and then back it up against you. Driving past you, out-scoring you, showing you up in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Now here is where the double standard lies. If their roles had been reversed, and Wade had James’ game and totals while James put up Wade’s numbers but missed a free throw late and fumbled away the last possession.
Well, today we’d have everyone saying how James choked. How it was his fault and he couldn’t close in the clutch. Wade would get some blame, but the focus would still be on LeBron failing late when it counted most.
It gets tiresome to blame just one guy for everything, especially when your bench gets outscored by 13. When your hot hand misses the most important free throw of his career and then coughs up your last chance.
James didn’t cost Miami this game on his own, but he is a two-time MVP, he’s supposed to be the Chosen One.
You can’t be “The King” and take just one fourth quarter shot. Not in a game that big, that important.
One shot? That’s you giving 110 percent effort?
Three made baskets and two free throws all game after being called out by inferior opponents?
You haven’t seen LeBron score eight points in a playoff game. You haven’t seen him do that in his past 434 games. And for the first time ever, Miami fans have joined the majority of America by speaking ill of something he did.
If it wasn’t personal and it wasn’t some secret agenda on James’ part, then there has to be an answer.
Was he fatigued? Is Coach Spoelstra playing him too many minutes?
Maybe it’s the shoes—he did after all switch to a new pair for Games 3 and 4. Those god awful red clown shoes that look more Ronald McDonald than styling.
Yeah it’s gotta be the shoes.