LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers recently qualified for the Playoffs after a 110-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. This would be LeBron James’ 18th consecutive playoff appearance, which might even turn into a possible 11th finals appearance for the 4x NBA champion. In the latest episode of the ‘Mind The Game’ podcast, James reminisced about the time he qualified for his first postseason with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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James made his first postseason appearance only in his third year in the league. His first playoff matchup was against the Washington Wizards, which featured the 3x All-Star Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler.
As a 21-year-old at that time, James could feel the pressure mounting on him, something he never felt before. “My stomach was hurting all goddamn long, all day, literally until the jump ball. …. got the team to the postseason, I don’t want to go out there and s**t the bed,” James told JJ Redick.
He added, “First playoff game, look out there’s Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and all those guys. They were playing great ball that year, we’re inexperienced as hell, and I didn’t want to lay an egg.”
Despite the burden of performing, James rose to the occasion of mesmerizing fans with his play. He recorded a triple-double in his first playoff game, scoring 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in Game 1 of the 2006 First Round against the Wizards. James described his feelings saying, “I laid an egg, alright, in their locker room.”
In his debut playoff run, James averaged 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 13 games. The Cleveland Cavaliers, however, faced an unfortunate postseason exit in the second round, falling to the Detroit Pistons 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. However, a rookie LBJ got the better of an experienced Gilbert Arenas in their first-round series with the Wizards.
LeBron James blamed Arenas for the Wizards’ loss against the Cavaliers
The 2006 First Round between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards was a closely contested series that resulted in a 4-2 defeat for the Wizards. The matchup was particularly intense for LeBron James, who did not miss out on trash-talking veterans like Gilbert Arenas from the free-throw line.
In Game 6 of the series, the Wizards could have tied against the Cavs with a win. However, a crucial free-throw miss by Arenas was what cost them the series. As pressure mounted against Washington and Arenas to win the series, LeBron James constantly trash-talked the veteran from the free-throw line.
James could be heard saying Arenas lost the Wizards a winning opportunity through his free-throw attempt. James’ psychological warfare against the Wizards worked out as the Cavs clinched the series and moved on to the second round. Even with all the experience the King has under his belt, the Lakers will have to bring their top game against the defending champs when they meet in the First Round.
