NBA: LeBron Emerges From the Shadows for the Heat

It’s been a long road but finally LeBron James has delivered the clutch performance he needed to give fans belief in Miami. King James stood tall when it counted, scoring the final 10 points as the Heat ended the Celtics’ season in Game 5.

Winning is the best redemption
It’s easy for fans and scribes to be selective in their memories. Entering his first season with the Miami Heat, LeBron James had the public image of a quitter in the post-season. He was a man that couldn’t deliver when the chips were down. All of this was because of his below par performances in the final three games of last year’s shocking defeat to the Celtics. The myth that King James couldn’t get it done in the post-season grew in popularity when he used The Decision to announce he was going to Miami.

That’s all it was, a myth. LBJ, King James, the greatest Basketball player currently active in the world today, had already delivered big in the post-season. He single-handedly carried the Cavs into the 2007 NBA Finals. Surely NBA betting fans can remember this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Px-jPm_TU[/youtube]
After suffering through criticism from all-comers, LeBron James decided it was time to do what he does best; dominate.

We are all witnesses again
It was late in the fourth quarter, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals and the score is tied 87-87. LeBron, a superstar without a ring, had seen enough. It was time to put an end to all doubt in this series.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gy1AUXkWrs&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]

First the long three to give Miami the lead then came the dagger. LBJ just sauntered up to Paul Pierce, a future Hall of Famer, stepped up and nailed the dagger. Look at the reactions in the video above, Ray Allen looks beaten. The Celtics knew then that the game was lost. LeBron wasn’t done. The exclamation point came with a powerful steal that he turned into a dunk. Then, as if to rub salt in the wound, he landed a lay-up at the end. Unlike that Game 5 with the Cavs in Detroit, LBJ didn’t need to score at furious rate. This time he has the talent around him to stand up and play defense.

Last night when LeBron took over on offense, the players around him got the job done at the other end of the court. That meant 10 points in a row for LBJ and a place in the Eastern Conference Finals for the Miami Heat.