'Greatness Code' Episode 1: LeBron James reveals how he felt when he took on Paul Pierce and the Celtics in 2012
LeBron James was one of the stars talking about his epic encounter with Paul Pierce in the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. "Game 5 in Miami, it was huge," explained LeBron. He recounted that time when Pierce got the better of him and despite LeBron's best defensive stance, he couldn't stop the Celtics small forward from dunking it in a three-pointer. And Pierce didn't let him forget it either. 'I'm cold-blooded" is a line LeBron remembers in the episode.
The Heat were supposed to travel to Boston the next day for Game 6 and as far as the King was concerned, he didn't feel a thing. "I felt absolutely nothing," he says with a blank stare at the camera. While there would be the usual nerves, this time was eerie. There was nothing. zip, nada. All that LeBron was doing was trying to get in the zone. The rest as we know it is history. The man had a whopping monster of a game with 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting, plus 15 rebounds on top.
"I wish I could bottle nothing up," he says. "I know who I am, what I am," he says with an air of confidence. "I'm that guy, an African-American badass from Akron, Ohio, the best player in the world." What LeBron essentially gave the audience was a sneak peek into his psyche. While there may be bad days for an athlete, the endgame is all about the ability to bounce back and he did it in style. It was a sort of vindication. After literally missing out the win in Game 5, Pierce and the win were in LeBron's crosshairs.
Needless to say, the 2012 season saw Heat defeat Celtics 4-3, and LeBron was also named the Finals MVP. The Heat's "big three", the "Big Three" led by superstar LeBron, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and power forward Chris Bosh had a heck of a scintillating season.
What are your thoughts on LeBron's mindset when he approaches a tough game?
'Greatness Code' is currently streaming on Apple TV+