2020 was a strange and difficult year. The COVID-19 outbreak brought the world to a standstill — and the NBA was no exception. The league eventually returned in ‘The Bubble’, where teams played without fans in attendance. The Los Angeles Lakers lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy that year, but even in victory, haters found ways to take shots at LeBron James. On the latest edition of Mind The Game with Steve Nash, he addressed one particular incident from the Finals.
Advertisement
In Game 5 of the series, the Miami Heat — down 3-1 at the time — held a 109-108 lead with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The ball was in James’ hands, and he drove into the lane, drawing three defenders. Most assumed he would take the game-winning shot, but instead, he kicked it out to a wide-open Danny Green.
Unfortunately, Green missed the three, and the Lakers turned the ball over seconds later. The Heat capitalized with a quick bucket and forced a Game 6.
A laundry list of analysts and fans criticized James for that decision. But it’s not one he’s ever regretted. “I couldn’t give up the essence of what made me fall in love with the game and what I was taught,” he told Nash.
As they recalled the moment, Nash jumped in, saying he’d take a wide-open three in that situation every time. James agreed wholeheartedly. Because, to him, that’s what basketball is all about.
“I’ll take it every time,” James added. “People are like ‘why didn’t you take the shot? He should have took the shot.'”
“Never been there,” responded Nash, referring to the silent critics. That prompted James to bring up the famed Teddy Roosevelt quote about “the man in the arena” — emphasizing that the most meaningful opinions come from those on the court, not from the stands.
This echoed what James said to the press about Green’s missed shot moments after the game: “I trusted him, we trusted him, it just didn’t go. You live with that.”
It was another example of James’ humility. His greatness isn’t just about the points he’s scored or the rings he’s won — it comes from staying true to why he decided to pursue basketball in the first place.
James credits his days in high school ball as a blueprint of why he continues to play the game the same way
James is the all-time leader in points in the NBA. He’s also fourth on the all-time assists list. This shows he hasn’t been a particularly selfish player in his two-decade-plus career. Now, imagine how much sooner he could have reached those milestones if he had been a selfish scorer. However, that would have gone against everything the now 40-year-old superstar was taught at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School.
“I absolutely was taught the game the right way, and we all succeeded and had fun doing it,” James said during the same episode of Mind The Game.
His success in high school was part of the reason he was so highly touted before entering the 2003 NBA Draft. Moments later, the future Hall of Famer said he could have set scoring records in school, but it was never about that.
“I never averaged more than 30 points in high school,” he recalled. “I could have averaged 50 points a game if I wanted to in my junior or senior year. But it was never about that. How can I maximize my teammates? How can I get the most out of my teammates in order for all of us to be successful? And we came here to win state championships.”
Those state championships set the tone for James early in his career. It’s why he has never been afraid in the big moments—because he knows that as long as he plays the game the right way and gives his best, that’s all he can ask for. That’s what basketball is about. Yes, winning matters. Yes, champions are immortalized. But staying true to yourself, just like LeBron James has, might mean a little bit more in the long run.
