The Atlanta Hawks shocked everyone when they claimed the top seed in the Eastern Conference during the 2014-15 season. However, after one of the best regular season showings in franchise history, the Hawks’ magical season memorably came to a screeching halt against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Jeff Teague recently reminisced about the series and recalled the moment he knew Atlanta would not be going to the NBA Finals. Despite the Hawks’ 60-win season, the former All-Star remembered how LeBron James told him that he would eventually “figure [the Hawks] out.”
Teague admitted he was originally excited to face James and the Cavs for a chance at a Finals berth, but he quickly realized LeBron wasn’t joking when he said he’d figure them out. Once the first game started, Teague remembered how James immediately forced him into pick-and-roll defense.
“[LeBron] ran a pick-and-roll with me,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what we gonna do the whole game? You gonna bring me in the pick-and-roll? Like it’s over.” Attacking the smaller Teague proved to be a path to success for LeBron and the Cavs.
Despite boasting one of the most well-rounded squads in the association, Atlanta was handily swept by the Cavs, unable to match LeBron’s superhuman efforts. The superstar forward had to compensate for the absence of Kevin Love, who was notably injured during the first round of these playoffs.
Compensate he did, averaging an incredible 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game throughout the four-game series. Once James figured out Atlanta’s weaknesses, the Hawks appeared disjointed. The first three games were competitive, at least, but the final contest was a 118-88 stomping.
Jeff Teague explained his physical altercation with LeBron
Teague shared how his frustration boiled over during this series, which led to him giving LeBron a hard shove during one of his drives to the rim. When the 36-year-old was asked why he pulled off such an aggressive maneuver, he had a simple explanation.
“N****, we was losing!” Teague said. “S***, I’m a sore loser… I ain’t win a playoff game against [LeBron] ever. I was sick of that s***.” It’s understandable, considering Teague’s ghastly 0-12 postseason record against James, but the 6-foot-3 guard still had to face the consequences for his actions.
Teague revealed how many threats he received on social media following the shove. It even got to a point where the former point guard deleted his Instagram account. In the midst of a 4-0 series loss, the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals weren’t a good time for Teague on or off the court.
