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“LeBron James with no regard for human life”: When 24-year old James posterized Celtics legend DPOY Kevin Garnett to an iconic Kevin Harlan call

Arjun Julka
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"LeBron James with no regard for human life": When 24-year old James posterized Celtics legend DPOY Kevin Garnett to an iconic Kevin Harlan call

When a young LeBron James posterized The Big Ticket Kevin Garnett during the 2008 eastern conference semi-finals.

A 24-year old LeBron James was coming off a great 2007-08 season. The Cavs star won his first-ever scoring title and was crowned the All-Star MVP. The Cleveland Cavaliers were the 4th seed heading into the 2008 playoffs.

In their first-round against the Washington Wizards, James averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.7 APG, and 1.3 BPG on a 48.3% shooting from the field. The Cavaliers would defeat the Wizards in 6 games and would then face the Big 3 in Boston.

The top seed in the 2007-08 NBA season, the Boston Celtics had assembled one of the greatest casts ever with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen as their Big 3.

The Celtics were clear favorites heading into the series against James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. Garnett had just won the DPOY award while his teammates Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had an efficient year shooting 39% from the 3-point line.

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The Celtics would take full advantage of having home court, winning their first 2 games. James had a very disappointing start to the series, shooting below 30% from the field. On the other hand, Garnett dominated the floor leading his team in points and rebounds.

LeBron James gives the Cavaliers a new lease of life in Game 4 of the 2008 ECF

James was not going down without a fight, winning Game Three of the series. The Cavs star had a poor shooting night from the field but had 8.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

Game Four would have James consecutively scoring 21-points for the third time but would have a remarkable 13 assists in the contest. Celtics big man KG had a great game as he notched up a 15-point double-double, shooting 46.2% from the field.

However, the highlight of the series remains James’ dunk over Garnett during the clutch moments of the match that would have the crowd in the arena on their feet.

The dunk sealed the moment for the Cavs as they would go on to win Game Four. A young James drove past Paul Pierce and would perform a poster on the 6’11” Kevin Garnett.

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The Celtics would defeat the Cavaliers in Seven Games. However, James put up a spectacle during the series despite being overmatched by the star power of the Big 3.

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka

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Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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