CLEVELAND (AP) -Imagine being 22, and having to carry a franchise.
Now imagine being 22, and having to carry the hopes and dreams of an entire city. A city that’s known nothing in sports but heartbreak for two generations. A city so starved for something good its most memorable events are somebody else’s triumphs.
A city just up the highway from where you grew up, making those disappointments all the more personal.
Imagine that kind of pressure. Most athletes would crumble under a fraction of the weight. LeBron James, though, isn’t most athletes. Isn’t like anybody else, to be honest.
All those comparisons to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson? They don’t do justice for what this kid from Akron has done for Cleveland and the Cavaliers.
“There’s been so much hype about him,” Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia said. “And he’s lived up to every ounce of it.”
And then some.
Only four years removed from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, James has the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the first time in their 37 years. For the first time in a decade, an end to Cleveland’s title drought is tantalizingly real, not the blind optimism fans cling to when there’s nothing else.
Sure, Daniel Gibson came up big and the Cavs played the annoying, smothering defense that’s usually Detroit’s trademark. But make no mistake, this series – indeed, these entire playoffs – were all about James.
“This is special. This is special, man,” James said, unable to stop smiling after Cleveland’s 98-82 victory Saturday night and not even bothering to try.
“Really special.”
In the evolution of every NBA great, there’s a time when he goes from superb to sublime. For Johnson, it was Game 6 of the NBA Finals his rookie year, when he stepped up for the ailing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and led the Lakers to the title. For Jordan, it was “The Shot,” made right here in Cleveland in 1989.
Now it’s James’ turn. After being criticized for not being aggressive enough in Game 1 of this series, James grew up before our eyes. He single-handedly won Game 5 of the Eastern Confernce finals for the Cavs on Thursday night, scoring 48 points, including 29 of Cleveland’s last 30.
Gibson might have had the edge on points Saturday, but no one had a better all-around game than James. When he stepped in front of Rasheed Wallace to intercept a soft pass by Lindsay Hunter, taking it in for a layup and drawing a foul, the Pistons were done.
It didn’t matter that there were still 10 minutes left. As James thumped his chest and screamed at the fans, Pistons coach Flip Saunders stood helplessly, hands on his head.
James would finish with 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, and it was only fitting that the ball was in his hands as the game ended. He heaved it into the stands and, as it disappeared, so did the anguish of an entire city.
“This is the best thing that ever happened to me, man,” he said. “But look here, look here. It doesn’t stop.”
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