The Redemption of the King. Vince McKee

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      CHAPTER THREE

      Beating Detroit and

      the NBA Finals

      The 2006–07 season was a roller-coaster ride that, ironically, had Cleveland achieving a record identical to that of the previous season: 50–32. What was different was that this season, their record qualified them for a second seed in the playoffs instead of a fourth seed. This also meant that the Cavaliers would be on the opposite side of the bracket with the Detroit Pistons, and a potential rematch would not take place until the Eastern Conference Finals.

      LeBron continued to improve. By the end of the season, he had finished with a 27.3-point average, along with averaging 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He was seen as one of the top five players in the league in only his fourth season in pro basketball. The first-round playoff series was a rematch against the Washington Wizards. The result was far different from the previous season’s dramatic series: Cleveland swept the Wizards under the rug with ease in four straight games. LeBron continued to dominate, and the Cavaliers made quick work of the Wizards.

      Round two would be a tougher task, because the team was up against Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, and the much-improved New Jersey Nets. The Cavaliers won game one with ease, and LeBron’s 36-point effort in game two enabled them to roll past New Jersey and take a 2–0 series lead. New Jersey bounced back at home, though, and won game three to climb back in the series.

      In game four, Hughes chipped in 19 points alongside LeBron’s 30 to secure a narrow 87–85 victory against New Jersey. Two games later, Cleveland finished New Jersey off in the series, 4–2, advancing to the Eastern Conference Championship series to once again play the Detroit Pistons.

      Game one in Detroit ended in dramatic fashion, as LeBron had a chance to put Cleveland ahead in the closing seconds but instead opted to pass off to teammate Donyell Marshall, who promptly missed a three-pointer to give Detroit the win. LeBron would undergo extreme criticism following the game for not taking the shot. Marshall had hit 6 three-pointers in game six of the semifinals, clinching the win against New Jersey a few nights prior, and LeBron saw that Marshall was wide open for the shot. Despite playing the Pistons tough all night and holding a lead numerous times, the Cavaliers still lost game one 79–76.

      Game two would follow almost the exact storyline as the previous night. Once again, the game came down to the end with Cleveland having the ball and a chance to win. This time, however, LeBron didn’t hesitate to drive the lane and try to take the game-winning shot. He was fouled hard by numerous Detroit Pistons, only the referees chose not to call it, and the Detroit Pistons eventually got the rebound, ending Cleveland’s chance. The Detroit Pistons made some foul shots after Coach Brown’s technical penalty for arguing the fouls on LeBron not being called. Brown was livid, and he had every right to be, as the Detroit Pistons were hammering LeBron every time he touched the ball. The final score matched game one, with the Detroit Pistons on top 79–76.

      The Cavaliers used their anger and heartbreak from both of the close losses to come out hungry and aggressive in game three back in Cleveland. The series continued to be physical, but the Cavaliers fought hard and won games three and four to even up the series. This series was following a timeline identical to the previous year’s, and game five was setting up to be every bit as crucial and dramatic. Cleveland again showed the willingness and strength not to break despite being down 2–0 in the series as they had the year before. It was another sign that LeBron’s dominance gave the Cavaliers momentum and confidence despite how bleak a situation looked. As long as LeBron was on the roster, the Cavaliers and their fans knew that the team had a chance to win any game and any series. A player with the heart, hustle, and determination that LeBron carries with him every time his feet touch the court is unstoppable.

      Game five of the Eastern Conference Finals took place on May 31, 2007, and thanks to LeBron it would go down as one of the greatest games of all time. In one of the best playoff efforts in the history of the game, LeBron scored his team’s last 25 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 109–107 double overtime victory. LeBron scored 29 of his team’s last 30 points, and the Pistons had no answer for him. NBA fans everywhere sat in awe as he singlehandedly took the game over late in the fourth quarter and carried his teammates to the game-five win.

      Ken Carman offered his insight on that epic night for LeBron and the Cavaliers:

      I look back on it now, seven years later, and can truly appreciate what he did. It becomes even more remarkable when you look at his weak supporting cast—names like Damon Jones, Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble, and Boobie Gibson. Let’s be honest: These guys were a collection of garbage, with the exception of Anderson. It was just a total collection of garbage trying to support LeBron James. As we look back on it, I can’t defend that rotation and entire roster around him. They tried and made an effort at it, and I know that Larry Hughes was battling family problems with his brother dying, but he didn’t seem to care about basketball before or after that during his time in Cleveland; he even admitted as much. Years later, you saw the collapse of Mo Williams in the playoffs around LeBron James. This is why it is important for them to go out and get veteran talent like Mike Miller, Ray Allen, and James Jones like they did when [LeBron] left for Miami. He bases it on trust; he truly tries to trust his teammates. There is a difference between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and it isn’t just rings. Kobe trusts no one but Kobe. We call Kobe a ball hog, but I just think he has trust issues. For LeBron James, it’s different because I think he trusts too much. He passed it off too much at times because he trusted his teammates too much. He took a lot of heat for it because he was the one with all the talent and should have been taking the shots and have the ball in his hands during the final seconds. It’s important, however, for him to have other players he can pass it to when he is being double-covered. When you look back at that team as time goes on, we really marvel at what he has done. When you have a complete team like the Detroit Pistons who are coached by a great coach in Flip Saunders, it took a Herculean effort by LeBron James to get them past Detroit.

      Kenny Roda, who was also on hand to witness that night live, gave his impressions on LeBron’s incredible performance:

      I was at the Palace of Auburn Hills that night in Detroit to witness it. I watched it in СКАЧАТЬ