Eight straight an all-time feat
AFTER playing all 82 games at age 33, LeBron James marches on to his eighth straight NBA Finals and ninth overall.
Four straight Finals with Miami followed by four straight with Cleveland. It’s a stunningly flawless achievement.
On Sunday, a magical 35-point, 15-rebound, nine-assist Game 7 gem versus the Celtics allowed the Cavaliers to grab another Eastern Conference title.
“LeBron is amazing,” Stephen Curry said Monday. “It’s unbelievable to think about the consistency and longevity and greatness that he’s shown.”
The most magical part of all this is the magical potion he must drink to keep himself healthy.
On Sunday, James’ latest victim was the Celtics, minus their two top players in Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. Those injuries only underscore James’ superhuman durability. It is the simplest analytic too often ignored.
After playing into mid-June for seven straight seasons, James went all 82 in 2017-18 and hasn’t missed a playoff game.
That ironman streak looks more incredible when you sadly follow injury updates for Kristaps Porzingis and track the ailments of Andre Iguodala and Chris Paul, whose teams vied Monday night to face James in the NBA Finals, with Iguodala’s Warriors moving on again.
“I think about the teams that I’ve played over this [eight-year] run and the players that I’ve played slightly, but more importantly, me just being healthy,’’ James said. “Being available to my franchise, the two franchises I’ve been with throughout this run, is what’s been more important to me than anything. Always being available.
“I’ll be available for at least four more games,’’ James added. “And we’ll see what happens.”
We’ll see what happens with James’ free-agent plans this summer, and why should he leave after this?
“I can’t see him leaving there again,’’ one NBA head coach said at last week’s draft combine. “He lives in Akron. His kids and family are home. This is how he’d want to finish. I think that’s what he’ll do. I don’t know what the best thing is, but he’s thinking, ‘I made my move home. I’m home now.’ He loves that. Now to leave again at that age? It’s not like he’s 24.”
After the game, James swept past Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who was congratulating his players at TD Garden. James barely acknowledged Gilbert. That’s a bad sign, as was his postgame remark to ESPN’s Doris Burke.
“I switched my mindset at the trade deadline to ‘let’s get the most out of this season I can,’ ’’ James said. “I’m trying to squeeze the orange to where there’s no more juice left.”
If there’s still a “6-3” debate after Sunday night’s king-sized heroics in Boston, let’s end it. Yeah, we know. Michael Jordan won six titles, James three.
I’d rather offer another angle to the James/Jordan best-ever question, reducing the argument to two words: Hue Hollins.
Tuesday is the 24th anniversary of the worst blown call in NBA playoff history — the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals at the Garden while Jordan was striking out at baseball.
The Bulls had Game 5 against the Knicks snatched away by Hollins’ last-second phantom foul call. Windy City analyst will tell you the Jordan-less Bulls would have advanced to the NBA Finals if not for the missed call.
Meanwhile, could you imagine the Cavaliers’ fate if James took a season off to play tight end for the Browns? The Cavaliers of Kyle Korver and Jordan Clarkson would be in the lottery vying for the No. 1 pick, much like the Browns.
Jordan’s record in The Finals is 6-0, James’ 3-5.
One of James’ basketball compadres from Akron, Romeo Travis believes he has a counter to the “6-3” argument.
Reached in France where he is competing in the French League semifinals, Travis said in an email:
“My biggest MJ/Bron argument is the level of the opposite starting 2-guards in The Finals. Hersey Hawkins, Dan Majerle, Jeff Hornacek, etc. Bron beat Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and the dynasty Warriors for his rings. There’s a lot of nostalgia for Jordan. People act like he only played six years — 6-0 in The Finals. What about the rest of his career?’’
With James in Oakland to start the NBA Finals, his Cavaliers are solid underdogs. But injuries can be an issue. It’s just never an issue with James.