Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is arguably the greatest player in the history of basketball. And one of the reasons for that is his success in clutch situations.
James has many iconic game-winning moments over the years, whether that be a shot, assist or defensive play. And he has elevated himself into GOAT status by being at his best when the lights are brightest.
What makes James so great in these situations is that he is never predictable, given that there are so many ways in which he can hurt a defense. He also never tries to play hero ball, passing up a great shot for a teammate in order to get a more difficult shot for himself.
For the Lakers star, it’s the ability to almost manipulate time to his benefit that makes him so calm and collected in those situations. He discussed that concept on the latest episode of The Shop:
“What’s going on in my head? Like you said it’s in slow motion, I slow it down as well. It’s just about trying to be patient, not try to be over-exertive or try to pre-determine what I’m going to do. It’s just kind of read and react. Even with the clock going 9, 8, 7, 6. If you look at a stopwatch, those seconds are ticking, like they’re going fast. But for some odd reason on the basketball court for myself, when the time looks like it’s going fast it’s actually slowing down for me. So I’m able to just slow it down and be able to see what’s going on on the floor. Will that always result in a make? No, I wish. I wish it would go in every single time, but I try to put myself in position that I make the right play or come home for the team every single time. That just comes with experience, the best teacher in life is experience and the more and more you get put in those opportunities and those moments, the better off you’ll be.”
It’s no surprise from this perspective why James always seems to make the right move in game-winning situations. Time legitimately slows down for the surefire Hall of Famer and allows him to process everything a defense is doing and react accordingly.
Even at the latest stages of his long career, James has always found a way to deliver when the moment calls for it.
LeBron James was nervous carrying USA flag
LeBron James has gotten to do a lot of incredible things in his life so far, but perhaps one of the coolest was carrying the USA flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
James was going for his third gold medal in likely the last Olympic games of his career. And he was selected by his peers to represent Team USA as their flag bearer along with tennis star Coco Gauff.
After having time to reflect on what that meant, James revealed that he felt a different kind of nerves and didn’t understand the magnitude of it at first.
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