Even LeBron James gets nervous sometimes.
Heading into a winner-take-all Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs, the Miami Heat superstar admitted to reporters that he would be overcome with emotions when he takes the court.
“I understand the moment for me,” he said Wednesday, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “I’ve been pretty relaxed, though. I’ve been pretty relaxed throughout the playoffs. I’m going to be antsy, I’m going to be excited. I’m going to have some butterflies. I’ll be nervous. Everything. That’s how I should be.”
With so much at stake, it’s no wonder LeBron will be nervous and “everything.” I’d be worried if he wasn’t.
For him personally, there’s more than just a single title on the line. His legacy is measured against how many titles (plural) he wins. Since joining the Heat, the bar has been set even higher and he’s been susceptible to even more scrutiny. Every win, every loss, is magnified times a 100, put into the context of a grander scheme.
LeBron knows this. Even if it isn’t fair (it really isn’t), he knows that he will be judged on the outcome of Game 7. He also knows there’s nothing he can do about it–besides try to win.
A win guarantees LeBron will be celebrated, no matter how well or poorly he plays. That second straight championship almost validates his move to South Beach. It doesn’t entirely, because he promised a dynasty and the Heat will need three before they are put in the same company as, say, these Spurs. But it brings them pretty damn close.
Ten years into his career, LeBron shouldn’t be at the mercy of his potential, yet he is. Winning for him isn’t a luxury as it’s viewed for most. It’s a necessity. And that’s cause for butterflies.
He doesn’t have anything to prove, or not as much as some would like to believe. We already know what he can do, what he is capable of. We know he can win, and losing doesn’t change that.
It does, however, open him up to even more criticism to his move to Miami and ensures that his impending free-agent nuptials in 2014 are more of an issue next season than they’re already going to be. Winning can quell many of the over-dramatic cries, it can shield him from another year like the 2009-10 campaign.
There will always be some sort of light shined on LeBron. It comes with the territory of being the greatest player on the planet. Winning changes how that light is perceived and interpreted.
LeBron is already great, now he’s on the cusp of immortality. Of back-to-back championships. Of salvaging his ultimate goal of building a dynasty in South Beach. It’s all still there for the taking. He just has to take it.
He just has to win.
“The moment is going to be grand,” he said of Game 7. “I’m happy to be a part of it.”
He’ll be even happier if he seizes that moment and wins.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
