Lakers vs Heat Preview: Will the 2020 NBA finals be all about LeBron James and the legacy he leaves behind?
The final minutes of the Western Conference Finals' Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets saw LeBron James activate a switch out of nowhere. With the Nuggets closing in on the points, LeBron all but ensured he would not be denied his tenth trip to the NBA Finals. And he did that by sinking three-pointers, running hard to the rim along with weaving and barreling his way through the Nuggets defense. It's safe to say this was the best of LeBron on that day.
With "King James" scoring 15 points in the final quarter, he ended with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Every other player's dominant display just faded into oblivion as LeBron racked up the numbers and all the while had looks that could kill. The trademark intense look was back as he switched to win mode and, while we're talking about his greatness, it's only fair we add he did that at 35.
Stats show the last nine finals had LeBron and one ended with an injury in his first season with the Lakers.
Ahead of the series, much talk has been about doing it for the legendary Kobe Bryant. Everything this season for the Lakers has been about Kobe. The late superstar's "Mamba Mentality" was mentioned time and again when the Lakers won close games and those that had actually slipped out of their grasp. And as much as LeBron would deny it or not make a conscious effort to think about it, this finals could also be the legacy he would leave in the NBA world.
On a practical note, LeBron will be 36 when the new season starts and no matter how much he trains to keep those rippling, hard-worn musculature conditioned, age is not really by his side. Is he going to drop off a retirement bomb by the end of the season, we don't know, but what we can be sure of is him gunning for another ring. The Western Conference title may belong to the Lakers, but he wants another ring and that means LeBron is not going to stop.
Talking ahead of the game, a few of his teammates recollected the moments in the fourth quarter where the instruction was loud and clear: "Give the ball to LeBron and get the f**k out of his way." And that they did as the veteran dunked in basket after basket effectively ending the Nuggets hopes of forcing a Game 6. "In the fourth quarter, he told us it was his time. He just took over. Everybody kind of got out of the way and let him be him," said Anthony Davis.
When the two teams meet, it's not just Laker vs Heat, it's specifically LeBron James vs Heat. This was a team he has two rings with and when he left, there was enough bad blood. So if revenge is one of the terms used along with legacy and greatness, it's not just thrown there. Talking to the media on Tuesday, September 29, ahead of the Finals, LeBron looked relaxed, but the intensity could be sensed. There was eagerness and there was a sense of confidence. To him, this was about the championship.
When asked about life in the bubble, while he admitted it was a challenge, he also emphasized it was about looking at the larger picture. "But I knew when I was coming what we were coming here for," he said. "I would be lying if I sat up here and knew that everything inside the bubble, the toll that it would take on your mind and your body and everything else because it's been extremely tough. But I'm here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to compete for a championship."
That's pretty much it. This one's for Kobe. This one's for the Lakers and this one's going to be for LeBron's legacy when the teams meet on Wednesday, September 30 for Game 1 of the NBA finals. The game will be televised live on ABC and starts at 9.30 pm ET.