LeBron James has carried the weight on his shoulders since a “rusty” near-triple-double to open up the regular season, a season he started without his main partner in Kyrie Irving, who is now wearing a different uniform.
Yet having reached the NBA Finals a fourth straight time with the Cavs and eight straight in total, to say this time around is just as fun as the last three is a flat out lie.
James had a relatively brief press conference after a Game 2 loss, now down 0-2 in the series and in need of some very serious rest before carrying the torch once again during a vital two-game homestand, turning down any further questions in the locker room.
“I see a guy trying to push through a lot,” a James confidant told Ken Berger of Bleacher Report on Sunday night.
The Akron native had perhaps one of the most deflating losses of his career in Game 1 of the series, putting up an otherworldly 51-8-8 line and still coming out on the losing end.
James’ performances have been flawless, mixing his usual power with shooting, but still falling plenty short of eclipsing his rival Golden State Warriors in yet another NBA Finals in which he’s the underdog.
“I put our team in a position to try to win a championship, to compete for a championship,” James said. “It’s my job to make sure we’re as focused, laser-focused as possible, do my job, and continue to instill confidence in my teammates until the last horn sounds. That’s my job, that’s my obligation, and I need to continue to do that. Which I will.”
True to his words, this series feels more like a guy trying to do his job, rather than someone enjoying the moment.
Maybe making eight straight Finals will do that, maybe getting little support will do that, but one thing is for damn sure — this roster nor this situation are giving giving James any joy, which leaves the door wide open for a blameless exit this summer.