Lebron James Is STILL the Best Player In the World

Now before I start, I would just like to say that I believe the Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA and I believe that Stephen Curry has recently supplanted LeBron James as my favorite player in the NBA. I also think it is virtually impossible to predict the outcome of a series before game one. But this isn’t about the 2015 MVP, this isn’t about the Golden State Warriors, and this isn’t even about the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is about LeBron James, the man who is returning to his FIFTH straight NBA Finals. Five in a row. The first player to make five straight finals since Bill Russell, in 1966 (!!!). This is about the best player in the world.

If you’re looking for a more balanced and in depth preview to the NBA Finals, go check that out. But this ain’t that.

It is fair to say, that at 30 years old, LeBron James is no longer the player he once was, no longer the über-athletic machine he was just three, possibly even two years ago. LeBron’s game has evolved and it is clear that his athleticism is on the decline. Hell, the man even missed time due to injury this year, playing in just 69 games, the only time in his career he has played less than 75 games besides the lockout shortened 2011 season. But I do not know if I have ever seen LeBron play with the determination he has shown throughout the playoffs.

Once this Finals series is over LeBron James will have surpassed 45,000 NBA minutes counting the playoffs but I have never seen him relentlessly attack the basket the way he has been these past 14 games. Over the years, I have begged to the heavens for LeBron to bully his way to the rim every single time down the floor because who in the world can stop 6’9″ 270 pounds at full speed with the strength, agility, balance and control that LeBron possesses? I’m going to tell you, nobody. So this year, arguably his worst playoffs since 2007, as a 23 year old, it has been a joy to see LeBron bully his opponents game in and game out. For 48 minutes, LeBron has been relentless and it has led to a fairly easy road to his fifth straight NBA Finals. Say what you want about the Eastern Conference but you would normally expect a little bit more from a tough and experienced Chicago Bulls team with a somewhat healthy Derrick Rose and the Atlanta Hawks who are occasionally referred to as “Spurs East”. Yet, here we are, wondering how in the world the NBA could allow such a long layoff before the NBA Finals, but that’s what happens when LeBron James steamrolls the East.

Looking to add his third championship 4 years, LeBron James is still the greatest player in the world today. (image courtesy of ESPN)

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, at the end of three quarters the Cavaliers were demolishing the Atlanta Hawks 85-60, and well on their way to an easy completion of a sweep of the number one seed in the conference. And despite closing in on 45,000 NBA minutes, LeBron James was on the court, drenched in sweat, with the most determined look I have ever seen, the look that NBA analysts and talking heads had been searching for his whole pre-Miami career, and here he was playing without star player Kevin Love (which I’m willing to bet was a key acquisition in LeBron returning home) and a 60%? 45%? Kyrie Irving, and there was no smiling or dancing on the sidelines like we had seen previously. LeBron was standing on the court up 25 points ready to BURY the Atlanta Hawks and let everybody know that the Eastern Conference is still his. Sure, he’s shooting 43% from the field, his lowest playoff mark since he was 23 years old. Sure, he’s shooting 17% percent from three, despite taking 5 three pointers a game (for comparison’s sake, Rajon Rondo has never shot below 20% from three in his career, Josh Smith did one time, his rookie season, so that’s really really bad). And sure, he’s turning the ball over about  four-and-a-half times a game this postseason, his most since 2005, his first career playoffs. Yet, once again, here we are, and LeBron James’ 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists this postseason have willed the Cleveland Cavaliers back to the NBA Finals, despite getting many fourth quarter minutes from Matthew Dellavedova (although he has played pretty well).

I know we’re so used to LeBron always making the right basketball play, and he so often gets criticized for it, and to this day I still remember him passing up a game winner to make the extra touch pass to Donyell freakin’ Marshall for a buzzer beater in the playoffs, but there’s something so satisfying about LeBron Westbrooking. Hero ball from the greatest player in the world. LeBron has arguably the greatest basketball mind in the sport and it would be silly to think that he was unaware of his inefficiency this postseason. LeBron James is no longer heads and shoulders above the competition but his 25 field goal attempts a game have the Cleveland Cavaliers just four wins away from an NBA championship. I know all about wonder boy Stephen Curry, the Defensive Player of the Year runner up in Draymond Green, splash brother Klay Thompson and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Warriors come out and sweep the Cavaliers, they’re that good. But I’ve seen the young superstar be humbled many times before and my gut tells me that the best basketball player in the world is going to pull this one out, and I never go against my gut.

Cavs in 6.