A season without acquittal for LeBron
June, 13, 2011
3:09
AM ET
By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com
LeBron James found a change of scenery, but finished the season with the same result.
MIAMI -- The screams and laughs wafted into the interview room from the nearby Dallas Mavericks locker room, and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade couldn’t avoid having it wash over them. All around them were the sounds of celebration in their own building, salt in their wounds as similar cheers were raging across the country.
Space, time, irony and remorse; these realities and emotions were crashing down on the Miami Heat. Everyone had a part in it. This defeat had many fathers. But no one felt the weight more James.
In this same space -- a couple feet away in fact -- where they were feeling their lowest, Wade, James and Chris Bosh had once boarded a hydraulic lift to announce their arrival in Miami to the world. A world that was so turned off by it that they stayed up late and had parties and jammed Facebook and Twitter with glee at the Mavs’ 105-95 vanquishing of the Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
“Sometimes you got it, sometimes you don’t,” James told the media. “The Greater Man upstairs know [sic] when it's my time. Right now isn't the time,” James told his Twitter followers a few minutes later.
That time. Yes, time is now all James has and it’s going to be hard time, too. With the start of next season in doubt because of labor issues and no free agency to distract the basketball world he lives in from another late-season personal collapse, there’s no redemption on the horizon.
Then there’s the irony. The Heat lost to the Mavs, whose owner Mark Cuban was so enraged that James, then a free agent, wouldn’t even grant his franchise a meeting last summer that he called for an investigation into how James, Wade and Chris Bosh all came to the decision to shift the NBA’s balance of power. Now the same man was carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy right out of their building.
“I could care less about the Heat, that’s their problem,” Cuban said with the bravado of a man who was tasting revenge and vindication in the same moment. “They did their thing, we did ours.”
On to the remorse. This will be the toughest one because it’s a burden James, and his teammates too, will have to endure alone. The grisly statistics will dog him forever, even if he’s able to enjoy supreme success in the future. The film will chase his legacy too, the unexplainable possessions in which he looked lost and unsure of his talents. The whole quarters when his usually fantastic play was inexplicably missing.
In Game 6, James scored nine points in the first few minutes, looking to all like he was finally showing some mettle before it was too late. Then he went 36 minutes while scoring just five more points, throwing odd passes, deferring and looking passive all over again.
By the fourth quarter it was too late. He’d actually made a few baskets -- scoring seven points -- which qualified for his best fourth quarter of a series in which he had vanished so glaringly that people were asking about injuries and making up rumors to make their minds fit what their eyes were seeing.
Just like last season in Cleveland where James' performance in the clutch was the polar opposite of what his talent and history called for. Just like when the top-seeded Cavs got behind the Celtics, as soon as the Mavs turned the tables on the Heat midway through this series James' swagger and game left him. When the Heat were beating the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, series they took control of early, James was a brilliant frontrunner. At his best, really, finishing those teams off.
It was now when he was expected to rediscover that dominance with anger and motivation from the Mavs and the masses. Everyone around him thought so, too. They talked to him about it, they encouraged him, they expected it. Even his biggest detractors and critics knew it could happen. They qualified and tempered their lashings over the past two weeks expecting James to answer at some point.
But as he went through another puzzling game Sunday -- dishing repeatedly to Juwan Howard at the rim instead of taking the ball to the basket himself, passing up wide-open shots when the ball came his way, standing and watching on defense like it was a summer camp drill at times -- it got more and more clear.
James couldn’t do it.
So fitting was the moment in the fourth quarter when the Heat were trying to cobble together a comeback and Mario Chalmers and James found themselves on a break together. James called for the ball. Chalmers saw him but kept it, trying to beat two Mavs players by himself. It was a brash play by a headstrong and fearless player that was wrong, but it was also a glaring indication of where James’ teammates apparently thought he was by then. Chalmers felt like he could do it better by himself.
James finished with 21 points, the most on the Heat, on what looks like a wonderful 9-of-15 shooting performance. It was, in fact, a better game than Wade's; he shot 6-of-16 and had just 17 points. But Wade’s game had so much more will and passion. He was blazing across the floor trying to carry the Heat through it.
In the coming weeks, Wade’s heartache will be as intense as his teammates'. But while it’ll be fair to cry over his execution, his drive was unquestioned and he goes to sleep every night knowing he’s still a champion. His mistakes, and there were plenty, came from aggression and the desire not to lose.
So were Chalmers’, who had 18 points, seven assists and three steals. And Udonis Haslem's, who had 11 points and nine rebounds on a foot that still isn’t totally healed. Bosh, too. He didn’t rise to the level of counterpart Dirk Nowitzki, true. No one could. But Bosh acquitted himself better in these playoffs than perhaps anyone on the Heat team. He finished Game 6 with 19 points and eight rebounds.
All of them played like their playoff lives were on the line Sunday night. James, again, played much of it like he was stuck in a bad dream.
After James’ Game 4, when he scored eight points in a game that truly turned the tide in the series after he was unable to impact the outcome when the Heat were just a big play or two away from grabbing a 3-1 series lead, the demand for James to respond was immense. A marginal improvement would not do. He needed to roar back because of his talent and those fresh memories from the past two rounds.
Of course, he did not. More chilling, it looked like he could not.
For those who cursed him when he signed with the Heat last summer -- be it fans of the teams he spurned or those turned off by the nature of his announcement -- it was like Christmas. Even buried in the bubble of friends and family he’s crafted over the years to protect him, he knew it and heard it as clearly as those Mavs players, coaches and officials cracking open Budweisers down the hall.
Left threadbare, all James could do was deploy his defense mechanisms.
“All the people that were rooting me on to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had before,” James said. “They have the same personal problems they had to today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want with me and my family and be happy with that.”
Yes, James could leave in his Bentley or Rolls Royce or Maybach or whatever vehicle he chose to drive. He could, indeed, go home to his mansion where his personal chef might have a five-star meal waiting. Then off to his plush bed with 1,500-thread-count sheets. In a few days, it’ll be off on a private jet for a needed vacation.
The vast majority of those who toasted his defeat will wake up and go to work on Monday morning.
James is a multimillionaire now and he’ll still be a multimillionaire after the coming lockout ends. As a two-time MVP, he's earned it. All these things will provide him plenty of comfort while his performance is eviscerated nationally.
“They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy that not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal,” James said. “But they’ll have to get back to the real world at some point.”
And there’s the rub. So, too, will James. Eight years in, James is walking away from another season with no ring. In the past he could -- and did -- with his head high while quietly blame others. Last year, he got away with a series in which he failed to deliver.
Now, in the real world, there’s nowhere to hide.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
213NBA FINALS: MAVERICKS v HEAT
June 12, 2011
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Game Six
Dallas Mavericks 105
Miami Heat 95
Q. LeBron, given your performances late in games in these Finals, what's your assessment of your ability to play well under pressure?
LeBRON JAMES: I mean, sometimes you got it, sometimes you don't. And that was this case in this series. I was able to do things in the last two series to help us win ballgames. Wasn't able to do that in this series. Once you get to the playoffs, every game is pressure. You want to win. You have to win. And I mean, we've seen some of that in the Chicago series, we seen some of that in the Boston series. Even though we lost Game 4, we lost Game 4 in Philly, there's pressure in that series as well.
So it doesn't matter which round it is. Once you get to the postseason, every possession counts.
Q. LeBron, what in this Finals round were you personally unable to do that you wanted to do?
LeBRON JAMES: Live in the paint. They did a great job of every time I drove, they brought another extra defender in front of me. They did a great job defensively. Very underrated defensive team. Took me out of a lot of things that I'm capable of doing or used to doing. It took us out of a lot of things we're capable of doing, that's getting points to the paint and getting to the free-throw line. So they did a good job. Much respect to them.
Q. Considering all that you went through this past summer and all the effort you made to get here to specifically win a championship, what are your emotions losing The Finals now?
LeBRON JAMES: It hurts of course. I'm not going to hang my head low. I know how much work as a team we put into it. I know how much work individually that I've put into it, when you guys are not around. That's something people don't see. I think you can never hang your head low when you know how much work, how much dedication you put into the game of basketball when the lights are off and the cameras are not on.
Q. LeBron, obviously you've dealt with so much criticism for the last year that wasn't at all to do with basketball. When you're getting criticized for what's happening on the court, does that bother you?
LeBRON JAMES: No, that doesn't bother me. I understand this is a huge stage, and you want to perform well for nobody else besides your teammates. That's ultimately what it's about for me. If I can play well for my teammates, help my teammates win basketball games, then I'm always satisfied with that. It hurts me, and I get on myself when I'm not able to play well and help my teammates win.
Q. Does it bother you that so many people are happy to see you fail?
LeBRON JAMES: Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that.
They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point.
Q. One for LeBron and Dwyane Wade, same thing: You guys were favored to win this series, you're expected to win tonight. I'm sure you guys expected to win. It's an overused word, and I don't mean this in any disrespect, I want to know your feelings, do you feel you choked in this series?
DWYANE WADE: First of all, we give credit to the Dallas Mavericks. They're a hell of a team.
The word "choked" is overused in sports, period. We lost ballgames. We lost The Finals. We ran into a team that at this time obviously was better than us. So we give them credit, and we take nothing away from that.
Q. LeBron, with all the pressure, the criticism, the expectations, did it ever get to a point where it just weighed heavy and affected you in any way?
LeBRON JAMES: I don't think so. I pretty much don't listen to what everybody has to say about me or my game or what I've done with my career. I don't get involved in that. This is year after year after year for me. Me as an individual, people write or say what they want to say about me. It doesn't weigh on me at all.
Like I said, the only thing that weighs on me is when I don't perform well for my teammates and the guys that I play for every day. That's the only thing that weighs on me. Because I take pride in going out there and doing the things that need to be done to help my teammates win. That's it.
Q. What was going through your mind entering the fourth quarter knowing you guys had that hole to get out of? What was your mentality?
LeBRON JAMES: Honestly, it was about fourth-quarter defense and trying to get buckets. We got into a good groove to start the fourth. I think J.J. Barea's three at the end of the shot clock was a huge shot. Put them up seven. That was a huge shot. I think it was 81-77 at that time. He hit a shot, the three at the end of the shot clock. We played defense 23 straight -- great defense for 23 straight seconds and he hit a shot like that. So it took a little bit out of us. You don't want to dig a hole like that against anyone. Especially on your home floor going into the fourth.
Q. Dwyane, Spo was in here and he said that under no circumstances did he envision it ending tonight. That he thought Game 7 was coming. That you guys would be at your best. Is it shock right now? Is it anger? Is there any emotion coursing through you right now or is it too early for anything to set in at this point?
DWYANE WADE: No matter what, you are never ready for your season to end. Whether it ends during the regular season, in the first round, you always are shocked, especially in the playoffs, when your season comes to an end. You can never predict it. At this point, obviously if you don't win a championship, no matter if it's Game 6 or Game 7, you're going to be highly disappointed. So, you know, obviously in the midst of losing, we feel it, but we'll feel it more tomorrow. And the more time we get to think about it and think about how close an opportunity we had, it will burn inside of us as competitors. At the end of the day, it will drive us to get back in this position again.
So we understand that our goal is to win a championship. We wasn't able to accomplish that year one. But this ain't the end of the Miami Heat. We'll use this as motivation and come back and try to do it again.
Q. Through four games, even though it's 2-2, you can make a strong argument you guys were the better team. I don't think anyone would have been surprised if those other two games turned out victories for you guys. Where or how did the series get away from you?
DWYANE WADE: It got away from us tonight when they won. This series was a close series the whole way. They were able to put a great run together tonight. We can never get over the hump. Every time we closed within four or three, they just continued to make shots. So this series was -- could have went either way for a long time, until they pulled away tonight.
Like I said, we give them much credit. Their resolve was stronger than ours in this series. So we'll learn from that, and we'll come back as a better team and try to use some of the experience that we learned in this championship round.
Q. Dwyane, you said a few months after you won your championship that Dirk was the reason the Mavericks lost that series because he wasn't the leader he was supposed to be in the closing moments. What do you think of the way he performed in those moments during this series?
DWYANE WADE: I think he's played awesome, man. Obviously Dirk, five years ago, it burned in him. He learned from that experience. Even though he was 1-for-12 in the first half, he came out and made big shots for his team. He kept being aggressive, he kept shooting.
So there's no question he's been a great individual player, and now that he's a champion, it goes without saying, what does it mean for his career. So congratulations to him.
Q. LeBron, we know it's a team game and a team loss, but we know the player you are. We've seen the things you've done. We know the aspirations you have. Do you take this as a personal failing?
LeBRON JAMES: Any time you feel like you get to the top of the mountain and you fall off, there's definitely a personal failure. It was a failure in '07 when we lost to the Spurs when I was in Cleveland, it's a failure now for myself losing to the Mavericks. Absolutely.
Q. For both of you guys, Rick Carlisle was in here and he spoke of his team feeling that there were billions of people that wanted the Mavericks to win. I know you guys have talked all year about not feeling that America is on your side, but do you think that might change eventually? Would you like it to change? And do you think that going through a loss where it hasn't been easy for the Heat might get people to come around?
DWYANE WADE: Well, me personally, honestly, we can't worry about that. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has options in life, and whether they want to be a Miami Heat fan or not, we cannot worry about that. The only thing we can do is go out for our supporters and our fans and our family and play the game the right way and enjoy it while we have it.
So obviously a lot of people wanted Dallas to win more so than us for many reasons. But that wasn't the reason that we lost, and that wasn't the reason they won. It had nothing to do about the game of basketball when it started. But, obviously, going forward, we're going to come back in and no matter if we're loved or not, we're going to come back in and we're going to work hard every day, like we do, and we're going to approach the game the way we always do.
Q. What do you guys think of the perception out there that this represents a victory for a team over a group of individuals?
DWYANE WADE: Well, I mean, I personally think we all are individuals that become a team. Same thing with Dallas. They had to put pieces together to get a championship. They did a great job of that. I think signing Tyson Chandler this summer was probably the thing that helped them get to this point. We did a good job of bringing individuals together to become a team. That's the way it happens. No matter what caliber of a player it is, everyone fits. It's like a puzzle. And their pieces came together a little bit better than ours at the end.
Q. It's a different philosophy in terms of having a top-heavy payroll versus something more balanced.
DWYANE WADE: They have a top-heavy payroll. We have a top three-heavy payroll. A lot of guys who took minimums to be here. I believe they have a top payroll as well. I'm pretty sure. Obviously everyone looks at us three signing together and thinking we have the highest payroll in the NBA. We don't at all. They put a championship team together. No matter which way you do it, signing Dirk was big obviously this summer. Adding Tyson Chandler and adding Shawn Marion a year ago was big. So they've been building it. Eventually we're going to build it. It just didn't happen this year.
Q. LeBron, I know this may be tough to think about, but right now what do you feel like it's going to take for you to win a championship?
LeBRON JAMES: I can only prepare myself each year. In the summertime I'll put a lot of hard work into my individual game, try to bring my individual game to a team, and I work hard every day as an individual to go out there and perform at a high level for my teammates and for myself. I got close. Won two more games than I did in '07, and hopefully next time I get here I'll win two more games than I did in '11.
Q. LeBron, you were a closer in the Chicago series, probably the best player in the NBA. No offense, Dwyane. Everyone is going to figure out or try to figure out what happened in these fourth quarters in terms of not closing like you did in the East Finals. What was the reason for that? And in terms of lacking your usual aggression, the way it appeared, everything okay off the court in terms of distractions or anything like that?
LeBRON JAMES: I've been in this league eight years. There's no distractions that can stop me from trying to chase an NBA championship. Not you guys, not anything that goes on that's not focused on my team and my teammates and what we're out there -- what we're out set to do. Like I said before, I work hard to try to put myself in position to play at a high level. When you go out on the court, does the ball always go in? Absolutely not. But the one thing I know, I never hold my head low in saying, I didn't do it the right way or I wish I would have did this. It's not about that.
I put a lot of hard work into this season individually. We all did. So we have nothing to hang our heads low. Just use this as an extra motivation to help myself become a better player for next year.
DWYANE WADE: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
June 12, 2011
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Game Six
Dallas Mavericks 105
Miami Heat 95
Q. LeBron, given your performances late in games in these Finals, what's your assessment of your ability to play well under pressure?
LeBRON JAMES: I mean, sometimes you got it, sometimes you don't. And that was this case in this series. I was able to do things in the last two series to help us win ballgames. Wasn't able to do that in this series. Once you get to the playoffs, every game is pressure. You want to win. You have to win. And I mean, we've seen some of that in the Chicago series, we seen some of that in the Boston series. Even though we lost Game 4, we lost Game 4 in Philly, there's pressure in that series as well.
So it doesn't matter which round it is. Once you get to the postseason, every possession counts.
Q. LeBron, what in this Finals round were you personally unable to do that you wanted to do?
LeBRON JAMES: Live in the paint. They did a great job of every time I drove, they brought another extra defender in front of me. They did a great job defensively. Very underrated defensive team. Took me out of a lot of things that I'm capable of doing or used to doing. It took us out of a lot of things we're capable of doing, that's getting points to the paint and getting to the free-throw line. So they did a good job. Much respect to them.
Q. Considering all that you went through this past summer and all the effort you made to get here to specifically win a championship, what are your emotions losing The Finals now?
LeBRON JAMES: It hurts of course. I'm not going to hang my head low. I know how much work as a team we put into it. I know how much work individually that I've put into it, when you guys are not around. That's something people don't see. I think you can never hang your head low when you know how much work, how much dedication you put into the game of basketball when the lights are off and the cameras are not on.
Q. LeBron, obviously you've dealt with so much criticism for the last year that wasn't at all to do with basketball. When you're getting criticized for what's happening on the court, does that bother you?
LeBRON JAMES: No, that doesn't bother me. I understand this is a huge stage, and you want to perform well for nobody else besides your teammates. That's ultimately what it's about for me. If I can play well for my teammates, help my teammates win basketball games, then I'm always satisfied with that. It hurts me, and I get on myself when I'm not able to play well and help my teammates win.
Q. Does it bother you that so many people are happy to see you fail?
LeBRON JAMES: Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that.
They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point.
Q. One for LeBron and Dwyane Wade, same thing: You guys were favored to win this series, you're expected to win tonight. I'm sure you guys expected to win. It's an overused word, and I don't mean this in any disrespect, I want to know your feelings, do you feel you choked in this series?
DWYANE WADE: First of all, we give credit to the Dallas Mavericks. They're a hell of a team.
The word "choked" is overused in sports, period. We lost ballgames. We lost The Finals. We ran into a team that at this time obviously was better than us. So we give them credit, and we take nothing away from that.
Q. LeBron, with all the pressure, the criticism, the expectations, did it ever get to a point where it just weighed heavy and affected you in any way?
LeBRON JAMES: I don't think so. I pretty much don't listen to what everybody has to say about me or my game or what I've done with my career. I don't get involved in that. This is year after year after year for me. Me as an individual, people write or say what they want to say about me. It doesn't weigh on me at all.
Like I said, the only thing that weighs on me is when I don't perform well for my teammates and the guys that I play for every day. That's the only thing that weighs on me. Because I take pride in going out there and doing the things that need to be done to help my teammates win. That's it.
Q. What was going through your mind entering the fourth quarter knowing you guys had that hole to get out of? What was your mentality?
LeBRON JAMES: Honestly, it was about fourth-quarter defense and trying to get buckets. We got into a good groove to start the fourth. I think J.J. Barea's three at the end of the shot clock was a huge shot. Put them up seven. That was a huge shot. I think it was 81-77 at that time. He hit a shot, the three at the end of the shot clock. We played defense 23 straight -- great defense for 23 straight seconds and he hit a shot like that. So it took a little bit out of us. You don't want to dig a hole like that against anyone. Especially on your home floor going into the fourth.
Q. Dwyane, Spo was in here and he said that under no circumstances did he envision it ending tonight. That he thought Game 7 was coming. That you guys would be at your best. Is it shock right now? Is it anger? Is there any emotion coursing through you right now or is it too early for anything to set in at this point?
DWYANE WADE: No matter what, you are never ready for your season to end. Whether it ends during the regular season, in the first round, you always are shocked, especially in the playoffs, when your season comes to an end. You can never predict it. At this point, obviously if you don't win a championship, no matter if it's Game 6 or Game 7, you're going to be highly disappointed. So, you know, obviously in the midst of losing, we feel it, but we'll feel it more tomorrow. And the more time we get to think about it and think about how close an opportunity we had, it will burn inside of us as competitors. At the end of the day, it will drive us to get back in this position again.
So we understand that our goal is to win a championship. We wasn't able to accomplish that year one. But this ain't the end of the Miami Heat. We'll use this as motivation and come back and try to do it again.
Q. Through four games, even though it's 2-2, you can make a strong argument you guys were the better team. I don't think anyone would have been surprised if those other two games turned out victories for you guys. Where or how did the series get away from you?
DWYANE WADE: It got away from us tonight when they won. This series was a close series the whole way. They were able to put a great run together tonight. We can never get over the hump. Every time we closed within four or three, they just continued to make shots. So this series was -- could have went either way for a long time, until they pulled away tonight.
Like I said, we give them much credit. Their resolve was stronger than ours in this series. So we'll learn from that, and we'll come back as a better team and try to use some of the experience that we learned in this championship round.
Q. Dwyane, you said a few months after you won your championship that Dirk was the reason the Mavericks lost that series because he wasn't the leader he was supposed to be in the closing moments. What do you think of the way he performed in those moments during this series?
DWYANE WADE: I think he's played awesome, man. Obviously Dirk, five years ago, it burned in him. He learned from that experience. Even though he was 1-for-12 in the first half, he came out and made big shots for his team. He kept being aggressive, he kept shooting.
So there's no question he's been a great individual player, and now that he's a champion, it goes without saying, what does it mean for his career. So congratulations to him.
Q. LeBron, we know it's a team game and a team loss, but we know the player you are. We've seen the things you've done. We know the aspirations you have. Do you take this as a personal failing?
LeBRON JAMES: Any time you feel like you get to the top of the mountain and you fall off, there's definitely a personal failure. It was a failure in '07 when we lost to the Spurs when I was in Cleveland, it's a failure now for myself losing to the Mavericks. Absolutely.
Q. For both of you guys, Rick Carlisle was in here and he spoke of his team feeling that there were billions of people that wanted the Mavericks to win. I know you guys have talked all year about not feeling that America is on your side, but do you think that might change eventually? Would you like it to change? And do you think that going through a loss where it hasn't been easy for the Heat might get people to come around?
DWYANE WADE: Well, me personally, honestly, we can't worry about that. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has options in life, and whether they want to be a Miami Heat fan or not, we cannot worry about that. The only thing we can do is go out for our supporters and our fans and our family and play the game the right way and enjoy it while we have it.
So obviously a lot of people wanted Dallas to win more so than us for many reasons. But that wasn't the reason that we lost, and that wasn't the reason they won. It had nothing to do about the game of basketball when it started. But, obviously, going forward, we're going to come back in and no matter if we're loved or not, we're going to come back in and we're going to work hard every day, like we do, and we're going to approach the game the way we always do.
Q. What do you guys think of the perception out there that this represents a victory for a team over a group of individuals?
DWYANE WADE: Well, I mean, I personally think we all are individuals that become a team. Same thing with Dallas. They had to put pieces together to get a championship. They did a great job of that. I think signing Tyson Chandler this summer was probably the thing that helped them get to this point. We did a good job of bringing individuals together to become a team. That's the way it happens. No matter what caliber of a player it is, everyone fits. It's like a puzzle. And their pieces came together a little bit better than ours at the end.
Q. It's a different philosophy in terms of having a top-heavy payroll versus something more balanced.
DWYANE WADE: They have a top-heavy payroll. We have a top three-heavy payroll. A lot of guys who took minimums to be here. I believe they have a top payroll as well. I'm pretty sure. Obviously everyone looks at us three signing together and thinking we have the highest payroll in the NBA. We don't at all. They put a championship team together. No matter which way you do it, signing Dirk was big obviously this summer. Adding Tyson Chandler and adding Shawn Marion a year ago was big. So they've been building it. Eventually we're going to build it. It just didn't happen this year.
Q. LeBron, I know this may be tough to think about, but right now what do you feel like it's going to take for you to win a championship?
LeBRON JAMES: I can only prepare myself each year. In the summertime I'll put a lot of hard work into my individual game, try to bring my individual game to a team, and I work hard every day as an individual to go out there and perform at a high level for my teammates and for myself. I got close. Won two more games than I did in '07, and hopefully next time I get here I'll win two more games than I did in '11.
Q. LeBron, you were a closer in the Chicago series, probably the best player in the NBA. No offense, Dwyane. Everyone is going to figure out or try to figure out what happened in these fourth quarters in terms of not closing like you did in the East Finals. What was the reason for that? And in terms of lacking your usual aggression, the way it appeared, everything okay off the court in terms of distractions or anything like that?
LeBRON JAMES: I've been in this league eight years. There's no distractions that can stop me from trying to chase an NBA championship. Not you guys, not anything that goes on that's not focused on my team and my teammates and what we're out there -- what we're out set to do. Like I said before, I work hard to try to put myself in position to play at a high level. When you go out on the court, does the ball always go in? Absolutely not. But the one thing I know, I never hold my head low in saying, I didn't do it the right way or I wish I would have did this. It's not about that.
I put a lot of hard work into this season individually. We all did. So we have nothing to hang our heads low. Just use this as an extra motivation to help myself become a better player for next year.
DWYANE WADE: Thank you.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
214http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTLKPv2--tg
LeBron James telling the NBA fans they have to get back to the real world someday.
LeBron James telling the NBA fans they have to get back to the real world someday.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
215rusty2 wrote:RealSkipBayless Skip Bayless
After listening to LeBron's interview session, I reallyreallyreally CANNOT WAIT to talk about what I just heard, tomorrow at 10am, ESPN2.
My DVR is programed!!
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
216David Thorpe (ESPN) on LeBron:
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
217Second-guessing: David Thorpe on the Finals
June, 13, 2011
3:17
AM ET
By Henry Abbott
ESPN.com
Archive
"As a thinking person, he'd have to be blown away at how average he was."
On TrueHoop, the era of the "SuperFriends" in Miami began with a conversation with David Thorpe even before the Decision. At that time, he said all kinds of things that look smart now -- go back and read it. What I remember most of that conversation is that he insisted the Heat's mission was to surround LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with athletes and young players who'd improve with time. The Heat did nothing of the sort, and it hurt them.
Now that the Finals are over and the Mavericks have been crowned champions, it only seems appropriate to revisit Thorpe to praise the Mavericks and extract forward-looking lessons for the Heat. We spoke by phone shortly after the Mavericks hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Everything that the Heat have done over the last year ... was it all a mistake? Do Pat Riley, Micky Arison et al drive home tonight convinced they need to make huge changes?
I don't think this means the whole thing was a mistake.
But I don't expect Erik Spoelstra to keep his job.
I wouldn't fire him. But I suspect they'll think they can't afford to wait another year to figure out of he's the right guy for them.
If he is fired, he'll be employed again very quickly. I think he's a terrific young coach, and he'll get better and better.
If you're Pat Riley and his staff, though, I think you have to take a serious look at the roster. You say you keep the three big names, and Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, and maybe Mario Chalmers (who is the worst good player I have ever seen). And then you have to get rid of everybody else. You just can't roll with the big three and a bunch of old dudes and expect to beat the best teams in the NBA.
Why is Dallas so good?
They're super pragmatic. Everyone knows their roles. They move the ball beautifully. They punish every little mistake you make.
There was one play where Udonis Haslem felt he had to switch. He didn't necessarily need to, but he did. It put everybody one step behind. Two quick passes later the Mavericks had a beautiful wide open look. That kind of stuff was happening all game long.
How rarely we ever said "ooh that's not a good shot" about any shot Dallas took. It was nothing but quality looks.
And on defense, they definitely did what they had to do.
Rick Carlisle hardly seemed to make a single mistake in the playoffs.
The X's and O's on this team are great.
The players make all these things happen, and they more than did their parts. It's a very eclectic mix of personnel, revolving around a very reluctant monster superstar.
If the Mavericks are this good, by the way, then that tells us good things about Portland, who took them to six games, and Oklahoma City who lost in five but really gave the Mavericks a series. Those teams are also pretty good.
Who's the favorite in the West going into next year?
I have no idea what Dallas will look like. Here's what's intriguing: They were by far the West's best in the playoffs, and they have plenty of young talent in the pipeline. Corey Brewer has a bright future. Dominique Jones is a great scorer, almost in the Jason Terry mold with tremendous confidence, almost cockiness. J.J. Barea's best basketball is ahead of him, if they can sign him. Rodrique Beaubois has a ton of potential. And on top of all that, the Mavericks have the draft rights to Nick Calathes, who has blossomed into a very strong player in Europe.
I'd say Oklahoma City and Dallas enter the season as the favorites.
What about in the East?
This series leaves some real aftershocks.
It's possible Miami recovers. But it's also possible this is the best they will ever play.
From the moment Wade hit that corner 3, and celebrated in front of the bench -- with the exception of one game -- they were destroyed.
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
Jeff Van Gundy suggested that it may already be time to consider trading one of the big three.
Anything is possible. The Magic were where the Heat are now two years ago, and if you'd told me that they'd make a huge trade for Gilbert Arenas I'd have told you that was insane.
But there's plenty to revisit.
I'd revisit the offense. I'd revisit the decision to fill the roster with old stiff dudes who wouldn't be able to play on 25 NBA teams, but almost won rings here. Joel was almost unplayable in this series. Bibby was a disastrous signing.
The Heat signed players based on their brand, which is a gigantic problem in the NBA. The supporting cast they assembled would have been great in the late 1990s, but it's 2011!
It would be a huge mistake to break up the big three, though. They are not only all young and good, but also underpaid. You can do a much, much better job on the supporting cast.
As we discussed at the beginning of the season, and as the Mavericks did, I think there's tremendous value in using the season to develop young players who can really help you by the end of the season. The Heat didn't do that with anyone, except maybe Mario Chalmers.
Should they have kept Michael Beasley?
That's not my first pick. I'd rather have Barea, or somebody with a lot more fight.
The Mavericks were all on the same page. JET proved to be an amusing distraction, but other than that they basically fall in line. That's a great thing.
If Erik Spoelstra is not the coach of the Heat, who will be?
My first thought was Phil Jackson. They like old players so much, maybe they'll like old coaches, too. Pat Riley, of course, is a possibility, too.
I hope Erik keeps his job.
Mike Brown would have been the guy, had the Lakers not tapped him, and I think LeBron would have been supportive of that.
What you hope happens is that the players rally to Spoelstra, and he had us within seconds of being up 3-0 in the Finals, and he's our guy.
Normally, in the NBA, that's not how it works, however.
Anything you'd like to add?
The Decision ... that was a monumental mistake by a group of young men. Not just LeBron James, but the people around him. It potentially could drag him down forever.
Now that he has faded so dreadfully, he's destined for a dreadful, awkward summer of anguish and second-guessing his play. If that doesn't happen, he's just unbelievably arrogant, or a psychopath.
He just played so far below his level.
Prior to Game 5 when he and Wade mocked Dirk ... that was symbolic of their mindset. The right idea was to really, profoundly respect Dallas.
Not doing that is a classic character flaw that goes back to not really seeing reality. This showed, ultimately, from a player who has a chance to be top ten all time, a major underperformance. It's not like Dirk in 2006. He didn't ask for any of that. LeBron, on the other hand, has to question a lot. Going to Miami was not the problem, but a TV show to announce his decision, Tweeting "now or never" ... he's due for some soul searching.
A lot of athletes don't survive these kinds of challenges wholly intact.
Tiger Woods' transgressions were far more grave, but he has been staggered by them. Tiger may never win another tournament.
LeBron James needs to admit that it's time to be much more humble.
And both James and Wade need to be much better shooters. Unless they're going to be surrounded with absolute lights-out shooters, they simply don't shoot well enough. They need to shoot 3-pointers incredibly well to achieve their full potential.
I say this as someone who loves to see them succeed. I don't like any players failing. I wish every game ended 149-150.
I only talk like this as someone who spent the night rewinding the DVR and seeing LeBron stand six feet away from the play, watching. Doing nothing.
As a thinking person, he'd have to be blown away at how average he was. Yes he had a triple-double in Game 5, but he could put up those numbers in his sleep.
If I were Pat Riley, I'd bring in a psychologist. And I'd say hey, man, you screwed up. But it's over.
Now it's time to forget this season and focus on the reality that you're a young man with a long future ahead of you, on and off the court. It's time to learn to be a loving person, to be a good teammate.
Don't sit and brood in your mansion all summer, because you'll end up a shell of yourself.
June, 13, 2011
3:17
AM ET
By Henry Abbott
ESPN.com
Archive
"As a thinking person, he'd have to be blown away at how average he was."
On TrueHoop, the era of the "SuperFriends" in Miami began with a conversation with David Thorpe even before the Decision. At that time, he said all kinds of things that look smart now -- go back and read it. What I remember most of that conversation is that he insisted the Heat's mission was to surround LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with athletes and young players who'd improve with time. The Heat did nothing of the sort, and it hurt them.
Now that the Finals are over and the Mavericks have been crowned champions, it only seems appropriate to revisit Thorpe to praise the Mavericks and extract forward-looking lessons for the Heat. We spoke by phone shortly after the Mavericks hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Everything that the Heat have done over the last year ... was it all a mistake? Do Pat Riley, Micky Arison et al drive home tonight convinced they need to make huge changes?
I don't think this means the whole thing was a mistake.
But I don't expect Erik Spoelstra to keep his job.
I wouldn't fire him. But I suspect they'll think they can't afford to wait another year to figure out of he's the right guy for them.
If he is fired, he'll be employed again very quickly. I think he's a terrific young coach, and he'll get better and better.
If you're Pat Riley and his staff, though, I think you have to take a serious look at the roster. You say you keep the three big names, and Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, and maybe Mario Chalmers (who is the worst good player I have ever seen). And then you have to get rid of everybody else. You just can't roll with the big three and a bunch of old dudes and expect to beat the best teams in the NBA.
Why is Dallas so good?
They're super pragmatic. Everyone knows their roles. They move the ball beautifully. They punish every little mistake you make.
There was one play where Udonis Haslem felt he had to switch. He didn't necessarily need to, but he did. It put everybody one step behind. Two quick passes later the Mavericks had a beautiful wide open look. That kind of stuff was happening all game long.
How rarely we ever said "ooh that's not a good shot" about any shot Dallas took. It was nothing but quality looks.
And on defense, they definitely did what they had to do.
Rick Carlisle hardly seemed to make a single mistake in the playoffs.
The X's and O's on this team are great.
The players make all these things happen, and they more than did their parts. It's a very eclectic mix of personnel, revolving around a very reluctant monster superstar.
If the Mavericks are this good, by the way, then that tells us good things about Portland, who took them to six games, and Oklahoma City who lost in five but really gave the Mavericks a series. Those teams are also pretty good.
Who's the favorite in the West going into next year?
I have no idea what Dallas will look like. Here's what's intriguing: They were by far the West's best in the playoffs, and they have plenty of young talent in the pipeline. Corey Brewer has a bright future. Dominique Jones is a great scorer, almost in the Jason Terry mold with tremendous confidence, almost cockiness. J.J. Barea's best basketball is ahead of him, if they can sign him. Rodrique Beaubois has a ton of potential. And on top of all that, the Mavericks have the draft rights to Nick Calathes, who has blossomed into a very strong player in Europe.
I'd say Oklahoma City and Dallas enter the season as the favorites.
What about in the East?
This series leaves some real aftershocks.
It's possible Miami recovers. But it's also possible this is the best they will ever play.
From the moment Wade hit that corner 3, and celebrated in front of the bench -- with the exception of one game -- they were destroyed.
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
Jeff Van Gundy suggested that it may already be time to consider trading one of the big three.
Anything is possible. The Magic were where the Heat are now two years ago, and if you'd told me that they'd make a huge trade for Gilbert Arenas I'd have told you that was insane.
But there's plenty to revisit.
I'd revisit the offense. I'd revisit the decision to fill the roster with old stiff dudes who wouldn't be able to play on 25 NBA teams, but almost won rings here. Joel was almost unplayable in this series. Bibby was a disastrous signing.
The Heat signed players based on their brand, which is a gigantic problem in the NBA. The supporting cast they assembled would have been great in the late 1990s, but it's 2011!
It would be a huge mistake to break up the big three, though. They are not only all young and good, but also underpaid. You can do a much, much better job on the supporting cast.
As we discussed at the beginning of the season, and as the Mavericks did, I think there's tremendous value in using the season to develop young players who can really help you by the end of the season. The Heat didn't do that with anyone, except maybe Mario Chalmers.
Should they have kept Michael Beasley?
That's not my first pick. I'd rather have Barea, or somebody with a lot more fight.
The Mavericks were all on the same page. JET proved to be an amusing distraction, but other than that they basically fall in line. That's a great thing.
If Erik Spoelstra is not the coach of the Heat, who will be?
My first thought was Phil Jackson. They like old players so much, maybe they'll like old coaches, too. Pat Riley, of course, is a possibility, too.
I hope Erik keeps his job.
Mike Brown would have been the guy, had the Lakers not tapped him, and I think LeBron would have been supportive of that.
What you hope happens is that the players rally to Spoelstra, and he had us within seconds of being up 3-0 in the Finals, and he's our guy.
Normally, in the NBA, that's not how it works, however.
Anything you'd like to add?
The Decision ... that was a monumental mistake by a group of young men. Not just LeBron James, but the people around him. It potentially could drag him down forever.
Now that he has faded so dreadfully, he's destined for a dreadful, awkward summer of anguish and second-guessing his play. If that doesn't happen, he's just unbelievably arrogant, or a psychopath.
He just played so far below his level.
Prior to Game 5 when he and Wade mocked Dirk ... that was symbolic of their mindset. The right idea was to really, profoundly respect Dallas.
Not doing that is a classic character flaw that goes back to not really seeing reality. This showed, ultimately, from a player who has a chance to be top ten all time, a major underperformance. It's not like Dirk in 2006. He didn't ask for any of that. LeBron, on the other hand, has to question a lot. Going to Miami was not the problem, but a TV show to announce his decision, Tweeting "now or never" ... he's due for some soul searching.
A lot of athletes don't survive these kinds of challenges wholly intact.
Tiger Woods' transgressions were far more grave, but he has been staggered by them. Tiger may never win another tournament.
LeBron James needs to admit that it's time to be much more humble.
And both James and Wade need to be much better shooters. Unless they're going to be surrounded with absolute lights-out shooters, they simply don't shoot well enough. They need to shoot 3-pointers incredibly well to achieve their full potential.
I say this as someone who loves to see them succeed. I don't like any players failing. I wish every game ended 149-150.
I only talk like this as someone who spent the night rewinding the DVR and seeing LeBron stand six feet away from the play, watching. Doing nothing.
As a thinking person, he'd have to be blown away at how average he was. Yes he had a triple-double in Game 5, but he could put up those numbers in his sleep.
If I were Pat Riley, I'd bring in a psychologist. And I'd say hey, man, you screwed up. But it's over.
Now it's time to forget this season and focus on the reality that you're a young man with a long future ahead of you, on and off the court. It's time to learn to be a loving person, to be a good teammate.
Don't sit and brood in your mansion all summer, because you'll end up a shell of yourself.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
218David Thorpe pre eminent individual NBA trainer and coach.
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
The story is of LeBron James' failure. He was as bad as I could imagine he'd ever be. He was atrocious. Atrocious.
Earlier in the playoffs we talked about how he was, I thought then, being brilliant in conserving energy early in games to be fresh for crunch time. Now I realize he was just being lazy.
He competed pretty hard on defense throughout the playoffs, but not tonight. He was a dog on offense. He was a dog on defense.
I have serious concerns. You can't be him, with his abilities, and have one less offensive rebound than J.J. Barea. I'm not one to use stats like that to crush a guy, but I spent this game repeatedly rewinding my DVR and watching in slow motion. I studied him. I mostly saw him standing and watching. I saw balls fall near him as he did nothing.
That's a severe gut check. That's a severe sign of a heart problem.
We came into these playoffs with all kinds of questions about Bosh's heart. I would not question his heart now. He was wrecked by this loss. I definitely question, however, where LeBron's head is. He didn't play like he cared. If I were his teammate, I'd have a serious problem with that.
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
219That quote shows LeQueens' distaste/feelings of superiority over the fans.
Why anyone would continue to support this jackass is beyond me.
Why anyone would continue to support this jackass is beyond me.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
220Cuban reminds me so much of Gilbert.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
221That Mavs win last night was the sweetest thing this side of having the last team standing be from Cleveland.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
222I knew the Mavs had a good chance last night when LeQueen started off hitting those long jumpers. You knew he couldn't continue hot from outside and that those shots would only convince him he didn't need to do any dirty work in the paint.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
223You would have to hire a pretty good team of investigators to find less supportive fans than those of the Heat. They and the players there deserve each other.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
224James can't even face the questions by himself.
He wants the ultimate prize is his chosen profession, but only if someone is leading him by the hand down the Yellow Brick Road, tossing rose petals to cushion his footsteps.
He wants the ultimate prize is his chosen profession, but only if someone is leading him by the hand down the Yellow Brick Road, tossing rose petals to cushion his footsteps.
" I am not young enough to know everything."
Re: Cleveland Cavaliers
225James uses God for his excuse.
What a loser.
What a loser.
" I am not young enough to know everything."