Lebron James is out to make Michael Jordan a liar. When one of the greatest basketball players choose someone else over you and also tries to expose your weaknesses, you got something to prove.
Per ESPN, when Michael Jordan did his interview with ESPN Magazine, he said he studied James and found better ways to guard him.
“So if I have to guard him,” Jordan told ESPN’s Wright Thompson, “I’m gonna push him left so nine times out of 10, he’s gonna shoot a jump shot. If he goes right, he’s going to the hole and I can’t stop him. So I ain’t letting him go right.”
But didn’t we see something different last night?
James did the opposite of what Jordan said, right? Within OT James went to the rim with his left hand lay-up t give the Heat a 1-0 advantage over the Pacers. When reporters asked James how he felt about MJ findings, he replied:
“That theory is wrong, I guess,” James said
“Frank Walker, my first basketball coach, taught me how to make a left-handed layup,” James said. “He wouldn’t let me dribble the ball until I got the steps down to make a left-handed layup consistently. We used to do it before practice every day. He always told me I’d be a much better player if I could make shots with both hands.”
ESPN numbers findings proved that Lebron drives left 51% and 49% to the right. When in isolation going left, James shoots 56.3%. James is the best in the league among 52 players with at least 50 isolation drives going left.
What is it going to take before we ALL realize that James is the best in the league? James is putting up huge numbers, becoming reliable in the “clutch”, a well rounded player and better teammate. The Pacers wont be an easy team to put away and this series is going to put the Heat and James to the test.