LeBron James calls the Warriors the “best team”
LeBron James called the Golden State Warriors the best team in the league after clinching a berth for his third straight NBA Finals against them.
LeBron James is the best player in the world, right now. He’s about to play in his seventh straight NBA Finals. This will be his third consecutive trip to the fourth round of the playoffs.
James is chasing greatness. In fact, he’s chasing the greatest. And there’s only one thing in his path: the Golden State Warriors.
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The Warriors have been James’ rival (whether he wants to admit it or not) for the past three years. They defeated him during the 2015 Finals and he got his revenge in historic fashion in 2016. Now they will face off once again.
Thus far, only two players have won the NBA MVP since James last won it: Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. They are now on the same team. Along with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, they have built the league’s deadliest super team.
James’ Cleveland Cavaliers have been overmatched in all three years. It took the perfect storm and some historic play from James and Kyrie Irving to do the improbable last year. Despite the loss, the Warriors were still the best team in the league.
Cleveland’s Chosen One also thinks so. After defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers celebrated with selfies and new hats. James, as always, was very thoughtful about what he’s done so far and what he still has to do.
James said:
"I’m not in the right mind to talk about Golden State. It’s too stressful and I’m not stressed right now. I’m very happy about our accomplishment. Golden State has been the best team in our league for the last three years and they added an MVP. That’s all I can give you right now because I’m happy. And I don’t want to be stressed. They cause a lot of stress."
These are all facts. The Cavaliers can let this sink in for a day or two before getting back to work to prepare for the Warriors. They earned that.
Golden State has also had the best three year run in league history. They won 67 games and a title, then a record 73 games, and now they are 12-0 heading into the Finals. Steph Curry has won two MVPs in that span and the team has broken countless individual and team records.
James, though, is very methodical. His IQ is higher than any other player who has ever stepped onto a basketball court. He understands all facets of the game, including legacy.
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By complimenting Golden State and praising them for being the best team in the league, he’s already setting himself up. If he loses, then people can turn to the fact that he should have lost because the Warriors were better, even he said so. But if he were to win, then that’s the second year in a row defeating the best team in the league so he has the be the greatest of all-time.
James is intelligent. He knows what he’s up against, both on the court and in the history books. He’s already laying the groundwork to preserve or improve his legacy in this year’s Finals.