I've spent many, many years being an NBA nay-sayer, but last night's game between LeBron James and the Detroit Pistons was the best individual performance I've seen since the glory days of Michael Jordan and the best overall game since the days of Magic and Bird. Just for entertainment value, you can't beat the double overtime. It's what they used to call a barn-burner.
A lot of the coverage talks about the fact that he scored 29 of the last 30 points for his team including 25 in a row. That's pretty amazing in and of itself. But what amazed me about that run run is that it seemed like every time James had to score it was do or die. With every possession it was like he was reliving the end of Game One and mindful of not repeating mistakes. And so he would make the clutch play to tie, to take the lead, or just to stay alive. Not just once, but for 29 out of 30 points.
The difference between James and Jordan, since everyone will want to make the comparison, is that Michael always made it look easy, effortless. Sometimes it was actually kind of boring. You never had the sense that he would miss or that he could miss. It was more of a performance than a competition, and the only sign that he was working was the way his tongue would stick out the side of his mouth when he concentrated. He was the very definition of "playing in the zone". And he and the Bulls would win, again and again.
With LeBron, it looks hard. Really hard. You can see him gutting it out, spending every last drop of energy just to find his spot and hopefully get a shot off. And sometimes he misses. Sometimes he heaves up a great godawful air ball. But mostly he gets the job done, somehow, someway. Drive and dunk.
For fans of the Cavaliers, this game and this performance confirmed to everyone that LeBron is indeed the greatest player in the NBA. It's no longer about hype and sort of a minor miracle when you consider how young he is. But you have to wonder how he'll hold up. When will he go cold? Can he, like Jordan, win again and again? Can he find the zone?
