“Is LeBron James the ‘REAL’ GOAT?” Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks exit signifies Lakers star to be the only player coming out of TD Garden alive after Game 7
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LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to finish off the series against Boston Celtics as the defending champions lost game 7 in TD Garden in a humiliating manner. This led fans think about Lakers star LeBron James, who has the best record in-game 7s, might just be the GOAT in the playoffs.
Best players choose their time and deliver for the team on the biggest stage of all. Michael Jordan, Kareem, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Steph Curry had done it in the past. While the current face of the league – Giannis Antetokounmpo also played his part in rewriting the history, his latest failure to win over the Celtics attracted some criticism. It was one of the difficult games for the Greek star, who was playing only the 3rd game-7 in his career. On the other hand, former Cavalier, LeBron James had one of the best records in such tricky situations.
James defies the odds – age, supporting cast, and opponent players to exert his will over the most precious game of the season. He has an impressive 75% winning record in such a “do-or-die” situation cementing his legacy as GOAT in the league.
LeBron James turning on the heat in the game 7
King James lived up to his name and image of being a monster in the Playoffs series. He averages huge 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in 266 playoff games played. With a 174-92 record in playoffs, LBJ won 4 NBA Titles and 4 Finals MVP awards in his career.
Interestingly the King gets hotter when it’s a “Win-or-go-home” game-7 in the playoff series. Apart from opening 2 losses in his career, LeBron Has never lost game 7 in playoffs. His latest game 7 victory was against the Young Celtics team, scoring 35 points with 9 rebounds and 15 assists.
If we go through history books, LeBron hasn’t lost one of those games since 2012. He lost his first two Game 7s during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2008 he had 45 points (game 7 high for LBJ) against the Big 3 of the Celts (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen), since then James turned things around, never losing a win-or-go-home clash again.
James went on to win the last six Game 7s, showing his character, talent, and hunger when the World is looking at the King to deliver. The most famous cases happened in 2013 and 2016 when he made sure to lift his team and win the trophy.
In 2013 playing for the Miami Heat, LBJ dropped 37 points on the Veteran San Antonio Spurs side. He added 12 rebounds and 4 assists in the game and won his 1st NBA title. Three years later, LeBron created history by overturning the 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 27 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in game 7. It was massive for the Cavs as they won their first-ever NBA championship and title in any major tournament. The Game was played at the Warriors’ home court, just like his 2018 win against the Celtics.
Here are all the game 7’s LeBron has won with his impact,
Celtics vs. Heat (June 9, 2012)
Score: Heat 101, Celtics 88
Round: Eastern Conference finals
LeBron’s stats: 31 points (9 of 21), 12 rebounds, 2 assists
Heat vs. Pacers (June 3, 2013)
Score: Heat 99, Pacers 76
Round: Eastern Conference finals
LeBron’s stats: 32 points (8 of 17), 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Heat vs. Spurs (June 20, 2013)
Score: Heat 95, Spurs 88
Round: NBA Finals
LeBron’s stats: 37 points (12 of 23), 12 rebounds, 4 assists
Cavs vs. Warriors (June 19, 2016)
Score: Cavs 93, Warriors 89
Round: NBA Finals
LeBron’s stats: 27 points (9 of 24), 11 rebounds, 11 assists
Cavs vs. Pacers (April 29, 2018)
Score: Cavs 105, Pacers 101
Round: First round
LeBron’s stats: 45 points (16 of 25), 8 rebounds, 7 assists
Cavs vs. Celtics (May 27, 2018)
Score: Cavs 87, Celtics 79
Round: Eastern Conference finals
LeBron’s stats: 35 points (12 of 24), 15 rebounds, 9 assists
Closing out big teams in big games cemented his legacy as the GOAT of the playoffs, and even of the game. Giannis is still young and approaching his prime, we might see him surpassing the greats earlier than expected with heroic performances.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)