“LeBron James Was Kind of Out of it”: When Shaquille O’Neal ‘Blamed’ King James’ Funk For Cavaliers’ Humiliating Playoffs Loss

LeBron James has developed a reputation for himself as a clutch performer in the Playoffs. The man has been the heart and soul of his team in several playoff runs. And, more often than not is the reason why his teams have made it to the post-season in the first place.

This was absolutely the case back during King James’ first run with Cleveland Cavaliers. From 2003 to 2010, LeBron was carrying the team on his shoulders through hell and high water. His five straight Playoff appearances with them speak volumes.

However, there are times when even he feels the weight of pressure. And, according to O’Neal, one of those nights was back during the 2010 playoffs. The night when LeBron refused to show up in a 120-88 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.

Shaquille O’Neal blamed LeBron James for the Cavaliers’ embarrassing Playoff exit in 2010

There can be no denying that LeBron James is the greatest Cavalier of all time. The man is the single greatest thing to ever happen to the organization. After all, without him, they would not have the worldwide fame that they have today.

Perhaps his greatest moment in Cavs history was the day he won the 2016 NBA Finals. A huge moment for the team. One that was indicative of his Playoff consistency. But, King James wasn’t always a guarantee to show up. In his early years, even the great LeBron struggled with the pressure of the moment.

As he recalled in his book Shaq Uncut, Shaquille O’Neal who was Bron’s teammate for the 2009-2010 season saw him crumble under pressure. The Big Aristotle claimed LeBron was almost catatonic during the Cavs’ 32-point loss to the Boston Celtics.

“There’s no question in Game 5 LeBron was kind of out of it. He didn’t even score a basket until late in the third quarter and was something like 1 for 11 from the perimeter. But that’s not as unusual as people think. I’ve seen plenty of superstars have a bad shooting game and get into a funk. I can remember that happening to Dominique and even Larry Bird. Shooters get rattled sometimes when they don’t shoot well. Scorers get frustrated when they don’t score. Now some of my teammates told me later they were trying to talk to LeBron on the bench and he wasn’t responding. He was, said one of the guys, almost catatonic.”

It certainly was a bad night for LeBron. He ended the game with just 15 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on 3-14 shooting. An embarrassing performance to say the least.

LeBron failed to impose himself a year later and lost out on the 2011 NBA Championship

Following the humiliating exit at the hands of the Celtics, LeBron James left the Cavs for the Miami Heat the following season. And, while he did find tremendous success in his first season in South Beach, it inevitably ended in failure. The Heat fell to a weaker Dallas Mavericks team in the 2011 NBA Finals, prompting many to suggest that The King did not impose himself enough as the leader of the team.

We all know how things went after that. 12 seasons and four NBA Championships later and The King is considered one of the true great Playoff performers.