Feeling no pressure
James’ focus is on playing, not city’s long title drought
OAKLAND, Calif. — Right near the start Saturday, LeBron James faced a question about whether his legacy might be riding on Game 7 of these NBA Finals.
“No,” he said, straightfaced.
He was asked, more than once, about carrying the burden of a championshipstarved city in his native northeast Ohio, and how he promised to bring a title to Cleveland when he came home two years ago after a successful four-year stint in Miami. Nah, he can’t have that on his mind in a moment of this magnitude.
“It’s an opportunity for us to do something special,” James said matter-of-factly.
The Cavaliers and all those people willing them to win just one more are counting on another spectacular, jaw-dropping outing by James in the winnertake-all Game 7 tonight at Oracle Arena. They all expect it after consecutive 41-point performances by King James as the Cavaliers twice, improbably, staved off elimination and rallied from 3-1 down against Stephen Curry and the defending champion Warriors to even the series at three games apiece.
“We’ve got to slow him down,” the Warriors’ Klay Thompson said. “When he doesn’t have the ball, try to do everything you can to not let him get it back because he’s so good at making the right play.”
James has been so dominant the last two games, everybody can now envision the sweet end to 52 years of Cleveland sports heartbreak and the city’s first major championship since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964.
“I came back for a reason, and that is to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, to northeast Ohio and all of Ohio and all Cavaliers fans in the world,” James said Saturday. “That’s been one of my goals, but I don’t add too much pressure on it.
“I go out and trust what I’ve been able to do, the work I’ve put into it [and] my teammates have put into it. And you see what happens.”