While returning to the NBA Finals is a thrill for LeBron James, the Cavaliers superstar is thrilled Kyle Korver and Deron Williams will get to experience the big stage for the first time, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes.
The Cavaliers wrapped up the Eastern Conference Finals with a 135-102 blowout win over the Celtics on Thursday, setting the stage for a third consecutive Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals matchup. This third installment will feature new faces as Warriors’ All-Star Kevin Durant tries to secure his first title. However, it’s the decade-plus veterans in Cleveland who are getting their first crack at the gold — which excites James.
“I think the first thing for me was seeing the excitement on Kyle [Korver’s] and Deron [Williams’] face,” James, who will appear in his seventh consecutive NBA Finals, said. “You’ve got one guy with 12 years, first Finals appearance, and another guy 14 [years]. So that’s the first thing I picked. And just to see the excitement around my teammates — I do it for them, and they give it back to me as well.”
The Cavaliers struggled after acquiring Korver in January and issues with their backup point guards forced the team to acquire Williams. Now, the team and its reinforcements are four wins from bringing a second consecutive NBA title to Cleveland.
Here are some additional tidbits surrounding the Cavaliers:
- In a separate piece, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reveals that Cavaliers forward Kevin Love refused to join James for a dual media session after the team’s Game 5. Despite the duo appearing simultaneously after previous contests, Love explained that James deserved to have the spotlight on just him after the team secured its third straight Finals appearance.”I just told [communications director] Tad [Carper] I wouldn’t share a podium with him because tonight is a night where he deserves to be on his own,” Love said.
- Former NBA champion and Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer appeared on The Rematch Podcast with Etan Thomas recently and explained why he prefers James over Michael Jordan. While Laimbeer and the Pistons engaged in several wars with the Jordan-led Bulls decades ago, he feels James’ skills supersede the Chicago legend. “LeBron can do anything. Michael couldn’t get all the rebounds. He couldn’t be the assist man like LeBron James can,” Laimbeer said (via USA Today). “He was very focused on scoring, a deadly assassin, but the rest of the part of his game, LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan.”
Lebron is the GOAT, you oldheads cant grasp it lol
Old? I’m 32 I’ve seen everyfrom Magic and The original Isiah to now Fultz. You sound like a millennial who never appreciates the history of the game. Prob thinks Melo is a top 5 NYK also. What a troll.
My thoughts exactly, raz!
Dionis. Don’t think u realize that the only reason lebron has any titles is cuz she’s been played with 2 other bona fide all stars for his last 6 finals appearances. And even with those 2 other all stars he still has a losing finals record 3-4. Also Lebron benefits from the emphasized floor spacing and 3 pt shot. Making his job of getting assists and getting points a lot easier. Not to mention the weak fouls. Lebrons also played a lot more games than Jordan. Lebron will finish his career as top 3 of all time if he’s not there all ready but he needs at least 2 more rings to belong in the GOAT convo
He gonna get 6 rings homie, Bron gonna be around for another 4-5 more years.
Jordan has 0 rings without Pippin, what’s your point? There have been maybe a small handful of teams in the NBA that have won championships without at minimum 2 superstars.
look how many players kabron has to have to win… and begging 4 more… not Jordan like!!!
Lebron aint never beg for nothing, he gotta deal with KD stacking the deck joining a 73 win team and 3 other all stars. He was right he needed a playmaker, he doesnt play and the Cavs dont win, he’s the only real playmaker they have because Kyrie is way more a scorer then playmaker.
Why do people act as if Jordan came into the league and won 6 rings on his own? Jordan came into the league in 84-85. His team didn’t have a record above .500 until 87-88. What happened that year you ask? The rookie year of both Pippen and Horace Grant. They didn’t win a Finals until they had MORE than Jordan to go against the Pistons and Pippen had his 1st all-star caliber year.
Bird had two other HOF in McHale and Parrish, not to mention a great bench.
Thomas had Dumars, Aguirre and Rodman.
Magic had Jabaar, Norm Nixon, Jamal Wilkes and James Worthy, all all-star players.
This narrative that teams are winning championship with only 1 all-star is a joke. The only problem people seem to have is that the players now have the power to choose where they want to go and while I admire the Ewings, Barkleys and Malone’s who choose to compete against the best rather than join them, history minimizes their accomplishments because they failed to win. Don’t believe me? Look at the stats of Karl Malone (2nd all-time leading scorer behind only Jabaar) and tell me why he’s never been in the conversation for one of the top 5 all time or even the best PF in the game but Duncan, who had inferior numbers to Malone in points (10,000 less) and point per game (25 vs 19).
Lol nah i just like seeing you oldies get offended cause you cant see someone surpassing Jordan
Don’t let this clown Dionis get under your skin he’s a computer tough guy he doesn’t know anything about basketball he just likes to run his mouth
macase, He sounds like he got cut from his 8th grade basketball team and still thinks he belongs…lmao!
Wassup you wanna fight? Lol
Nah I just rather break your ankles on the court lol
I watch basketball I dont really play it lol
Seems to me like you don’t do either
Lol
LMAO that was epic Grant!
What are you 13? Bringing up age? Better question is what’s the next great hypothetical trade Dionis the great will mention? How about Devin Booker to the C’s? Or perhaps do I see an Aaron Gordon and Vucevic for Nuric??? Stay tuned on these ridiculous trade proposals and many more comments from Dionis later this offseason.
No he said the C’s were getting Stephen curry and KD for a bag of basketballs and the cheerleaders lol
KD and Curry trash lol, they both choke artists
MJ, 9x all NBA first team defense to LBJ 5x. Not to mention MJ 88 defensive POY which LBJ never got. Laimbeer is still hating on the Bulls.
Laimbeer is/was/and always will be a scrub. He’s a POS and I still can’t stand him to this day. “They won” stupid ass bully.
He used to smack the Bulls around
And Michael used NYK as his own personal toy…what’s your point???
Yea sure come on dude the Knicks had no offense beyond Ewing and Starks. John Starks would get absolutely smoked by a modern day SG now, JR Smith himself will rain 3’s all night over that dwarf. Sure they played great team D but come on dude really?
You never seen a close line by Oak? As a bulls fan I hated him but the dude was great for NYK. Starks on the other hand shining accomplishment is dunking on Jordan once lol
LeBron got robbed twice for DPOY
Shame james jones get no credit its his 7th consecutive final as well as james
I loved how Reggie said on Thursday he should get credit also and CWeb was like uhhh? And Reggie said for being smart. I nearly died lol
ESPN still talks about how LeBron is the only non Celtic to make 7 consecutive finals and I am like James Jones…
MJ in today’s nba would average more than 40 points players are soft now a days and the NBA doesn’t allow real defense to be played no hand checking nothing. I won’t say LeBron wouldn’t be a beast back in the he’s fast and strong but MJ is the GOAT followed by LeBron (I guess)
LeBron will be 2nd when it’s all said and done. 6-0 ends all talks when discussed GOAT. Nobody talks about Magic 5-4 record anymore. Or Shaq being 4-2.
Jordan never beat a team like the 73 win Warriors, neither has he faces the adversity and pressure Lebron has faced not only off the court but on the court. No doubt MJ was the superior scorer but we underrate what Lebron brings to the table off the ball, the dude straight up just wants everyone to participate and win, gotta respect a team player. The times he lost it was not cause of him it was due to the team not showing up, aside from 2011 cant blame him
For the other losses
Jordan never beating a historic team on par with that warriors team is your first valid point ever, but Jordan is better enough elsewhere to beat out Lebron.
Pippen did all the work for Michael, Lebron has to do what Jordan did and Scottie did at the same time with the Cavs, thats what ya dont understand. Lebron at least got Kyrie to alleviate some of his responsibilities out on the court and that boy still young. Jordan did more scoring then playmaking, Lebron has to score, play defense, and make plays for teammates.
Stop this nonsense talk. MJ played defense too. He was DPOY and a 9 time all NBA 1st teamer. And also MJ had 9 triple doubles in a row the year AFTER he averaged 37. Smdh and one year he averaged 8 APG and 8 RPG
32 8 8 and LOST, id rather make it to 3rd base with a girl then getting kicked out only at 1st base which is MJ who used to get his a** handed to him in the 1st round constantly. Lebron NEVER lost in the first round and was winning 60 games with less talent then MJ.
And MJ NEVER lost in the FINALS….lmao gtfoh with that dumbass logic.
We’ll see what happens, if Lebron beats the Warriors he’s the GOAT, the Warriors are historic offensively.
SO tired of that damn excuse. bulls beat a 64 win Sonics team, a 62 win team in Utah in 1998. It’s MJ’s fault these teams didn’t conduct a super team? What? That is reaching. You play who is in front of you. We also had to beat a young Shaq
A fat out of shape Kemp and Payton thats it? Come on Gzzzzz
Fat? He was amazing before he went to Cavs in 98…Kemp was one of the best PFs in the early 90s.
warriors better watch out when they use edy I know he injured but he just in time to be healed from the hand fracture and he practicing with his running ability no easy buckets for KD cavs in 7
Nah Cavs cant win another game 7 in GS, Curry and Gayrantula will have to retire if thats the case lol. Cavs in 6
Stephanie and Gayrantula you mean
Yea both of those softies wear panties lol, Kyrie and Bron got the mental edge over those sissies
Kyrie finals MVP
That’s what I have with my friends. Dude is clutch and comes thru and has no fear taking the last shot. Alpha mentality. I wanna see who gets the last shot for GSW in these finals. KD or Steph? It’ll be interesting to watch.
KD gonna try to outdue Curry, and neither of those twigs could take it to the hole like Kyrie and Bron. Lebron gonna attack that rim with no regard and dont even get me started on Kyrie, Kyrie, Bron,Curry, and KD gonna cancel each other out the real matchup is Love,JR, and Thompson vs Green,Klay, and Iggy
Jordan never beat a super team. Never made the finals by himself. All you can say for Jordan is he is 6-0. Once Lebron wins this year he will be the GOAT. No ifs ands or buts about it.
I disagree with you haha. The Celtics, Lakers, Pistons and even the Jazz were great teams stacked with HOF and they were all championship teams he had to overcome inorder to win his own rings.
Lebron might be better than Jordan but both are worse than Harden. He’s the only player who can consistently put up 20 flops a game.
Jaja
Lebron will never surpass Jordan because he’s a modern day Paul Bunya. A legend. A ghost. However, let’s not kid each other, there will never be another Lebron James either. Right now, the conversation is all about the rings, which if you’re honest, is a team accomplishment. However, in terms of stats, their will be no contest in the James vs Kobe or Jordan conversation,
Right now, at age 32 James is only 5,000 points behind both Kobe and Jordan (if healthy he can pass them in 3 more seasons) , is already 1,000 assists pass Kobe and 1,800 ahead of Jordan, is 700 rebounds ahead of Kobe and 1,000 ahead of Jordan and has a slightly better shooting % than Jordan and a much better one than Kobe (.500 vs Kobe’s .450).
Statistically, he will outscore both MJ and Kobe and be more efficient and be MUCH better than Kobe and Jordan in other areas of the game that directly help the team (assists and rebounds). He even has a slightly better 3pt shooting % @ 34% vs Jordan (33% ) and Kobe (33%).
Show me any player his size that does so many things at a high level? Jordan IS and WILL be the goat but there may NEVER be a player as VALUABLE as LBJ.
I agree with this post. LeBron will destroy MJ statistically but different times back then as it is now. Do we see LeBron not winning MVP rest of his career anymore.
All teams were past prime