More Than a Great Game. This Was Art.
LeBron turns 33 years old next month and just dropped 57 points (adding 11 rebounds and seven assists) last night. In Cleveland, this is almost just becoming expected! There has been this peculiar hum since the clock hit 0:00 across the sports world and, for many, during the game, it cemented LBJ as the greatest to ever play with this showing.
This was more than just a game. This was art.
With this 57-point-performance, he . .
- Became the youngest player to reach 29,000 points in his career, joining only a group of seven all-time.
- Tied the Cavaliers single-game record in points scored that was held by no other than Kyrie — in sync with the early season shade Irving has been throwing at him and the Cavs.
- Posted his 11th career 50+ point game — in his mid-thirties! That ties him with Allen Iverson, who I believe, pound-for-pound, is a snubbed name in the “Greatest of All Time” conversation.
- Dropped his 10th 50+ point game on the road. He loves to do that on someone else’s court.
What is also so interesting is that this masterpiece came on the road in a contest with the Wizards. This Wizards team has created a slight rivalry with this LeBron-led Cavs team the past few seasons and given them all they could handle in most match ups. Last year, John Wall and Bradley Beal went on record saying the Cavs dodged the #1 seed so they could avoid playing them and the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs. LeBron shut that up quick this year and literally “walked over” Bradley Beal.
The one man that has remained steadfast in the “Greatest of All Time” conversation with Bron is of course, the other 23 himself, Michael Jordan. Jordan played his 15th and final season with the Washington Wizards in ‘02-’03 and averaged 20.0 points a game. Seamlessly the next great, LeBron James, was drafted in 2003. Eerily, now in his 15th season at 33 years old versus Jordan’s last team, he showed no signs of aging with this performance and how superior he is at the same chapter in his respective career. Side note, he is averaging 29.1 points a game, 8.7 assists and 7.4 rebounds through the 2017-2018 season so far.
In last night’s game, LeBron looked like his 2007 self. Remember when he had a pedestrian team around him including Ira Newble, Damon Jones, and Eric Snow? He still took that team to the finals literally on his back. Now in his mid-thirties and with the likes of Dwayne Wade, Kevin Love and Derrick Rose on the floor, they were still giving him the ball and getting out of his way just the same. If the trends of last night’s game continue, there should be no argument in the MVP race, the Cavs ability to run to the finals, or who the “Greatest of All Time” truly is.
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Image: ESPN
