I could not believe my eyes. There is no way that what I saw last night in game one of the NBA Finals actually took place.
No, it's not that the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat to go up 1-0 in the best of seven series.
It's not that at 10:30 p.m. they were just beginning the fourth period.
What I saw that was unbelievable was the best player in the world, and therefore, one of the best athletes on the planet was being carried off of the court by two assistants in the fourth period with the game still hanging in the balance.
Was it because of a broken ankle or foot or hamstring pull? No. It was because....because of...I can hardly say this...
CRAMPS!
Are you serious? LeBron James, the self-proclaimed King of Basketball, could not play in the fourth period last night because he was cramping up. We heard every excuse in the book coming from the commentators.
The building was too hot. It was 90 degrees at the AT&T Center. He's played too many minutes. Really? I didn't see old man (who happens to be the same age as me) Tim Duncan cramping up in the fourth period. Or Manu Ginobli or even LeBron's 38-year-old teammate Ray Allen hobbling to the sidelines. They all played in the same conditions. Who's played more minutes over the last 17 years than Duncan? Get LeBron some pickle juice for crying out loud.
I realize that James is the most scrutinized and criticized player to ever play the game. From leaving high school and going straight into the NBA to "The Decision" when he took his "talents to South Beach," LeBron has been under the spotlight of a society that relishes the fall of greatness more than any celebrity since Samson.
But when I think of the NBA greats and what they do when the spotlight shines brightest, I think of Willis Reed hobbling on the court for Game 7 against the Lakers in 1970. I think of Isaiah Thomas scoring 25 points in one period against the Lakers on one leg in 1988. I think of Michael Jordan cutting open his shoe during game three of the 1991 Finals against the Lakers. (Interesting that many of these great moments come at the expense of the Lakers.) Yes, Jordan did need help off the court once. It was at the end of "The Flu" game against Utah in 1997. Jordan just torched Karl Malone and the Jazz for 38 points on the road while barely being able to walk.
The Heat may eventually win this series, and LeBron with two rings and four MVPs in his resume, has undoubtedly etched his name in NBA history. Right now, however, the image that I have of LeBron is him sitting at the end of the bench with about two minutes to play in the fourth period of the NBA Finals, too cramped up to play, while a 32-year-old Tony Parker, who is playing on an injured ankle, had enough legs to lift a game-clinching three pointer in the corner just a few feet away from "The King."
It seams that hardly a week goes by without LeBron talking about how great he is or how great his team is in an interview. I get frustrated whenever I hear him say it.
Great teams and players don't have to tell people they're great. You can see it with your own eyes and you know it when you see it. Last night, I saw it on the bench unable to remind us with it's actions.
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com
Follow me on Twitter @CN_AaronF