In his only trip back to Cleveland this season, LeBron James put on a show in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-108 win over the Cavaliers.
James finished with a season-high 46 points and absolutely dominated in the fourth quarter, knocking down 9-of-10 shots to singlehandedly outscore Cleveland 21-19 to ensure the Lakers victory.
James’ point total are his second-highest as a member of the Lakers and most he’s ever hung on his former Cavs team.
What some may have missed was a brief exchange James had with a person in the crowd. After missing shot at the buzzer, James could be seen looking toward the sideline and nodding his head as he walked to the bench.
The Cavaliers did have some fans in the building, but the person that James’ attention went to was not random.
“It’s someone I know. I felt like he was a little bit too excited about seeing me miss, that’s what happened,” LeBron said after the game. “I know who he is. He’s part of the front office group.
“He was really excited about me missing that shot, a little bit more extra than I would have liked, but he’s got to root for his team obviously. He showcased that. I knew I had another quarter, and the fourth quarter is my favorite.”
James chose not to reveal the identity of the front office member who sparked his fourth quarter flurry, but that person undoubtedly regrets his actions. With the Lakers holding on to a two-point lead and just under five minutes remaining, LeBron elevated his game to another level.
It started with a 3-pointer from the Cavaliers logo and was followed with an easy layup. James then knocked down another pair of 3s with an assist on an Anthony Davis dunk sandwiched in between. He capped it all off with an unbelievable baseline fadeaway to ice the game for good.
One might wonder what was said to inspire such an outburst, but there actually weren’t any. “He didn’t say a word,” LeBron said. “He was just a little bit too excited about me missing that shot. There’s a million cameras in these arenas. Y’all just got to find a clip to see how excited he was when I missed. I didn’t take it well.”
LeBron celebrates Tom Brady Making 10th Super Bowl appearance
LeBron also may have had a little extra inspiration beforehand as well as he celebrated Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady winning the NFC Championship to appear in his 10th Super Bowl.
Much like James, Brady is defying all logic with his performance at the age of 43 and both have the opportunity to add to their legacy in a way no one thought possible.
Unfortunately this did come at the expense of Anthony Davis’ favorite team as Brady and the Bucs defeated the Green Bay Packers to advance to the Super Bowl.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!