Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 9:00 am  |  98 responses

LeBron Beat the Celtics, Apologized to Cleveland


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

It was perhaps a tad overly dramatic, with the Boston Celtics finally slayed, LeBron James got down on one knee in front of the whole world, and bowed his head in a moment that told so much, but represented this above all: relief.

LeBron and the Miami Heat have conquered their long-time tormentors from Beantown, and according to James and teammate Dwyane Wade, the Celtics should get the credit for inspiring them to join forces in South Beach.

Both superstars knew this was the only way to take down the Green and White.

From ESPN:

James scored 33 points and the final 10 for the Heat in their 97-87 Game 5 victory over the Celtics, beating his nemesis for the first time in three playoff tries over the past four years. At the end, he fell to one knee to consider the moment.

“Everything went through my mind,” James said. “Finally getting over this hump against this team. Everything I went through this summer with the decision and deciding to come down here and be a part of this team. … All the backlash I got from it. The talks me and D-Wade had. I was very emotional at that point.”

He apologized for leaving Cleveland and explained why he felt he had to do it. “I knew deep down in my heart, as much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland and as much as I loved home, I knew it couldn’t do it by myself against that team,” James said. “The way it panned out with all the friends and family and the fans back home, I apologize for the way it happened. I knew this opportunity was once in a lifetime. To be able to come down here and pair with two guys and this organization — in order for me to move on with my career, that team that we just defeated, we had to go through them.”

Oh, right. The apology to Cleveland Cavaliers fans for the way the infamous “Decision” was handled last summer. It’s out there now. Can we all move on? No? Very well, then.

The road to the title doesn’t get any easier for Miami, as they’ll likely meet the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, in what promises to be a battle for the ages.

For now, though, they can take time to soak in and celebrate a major victory.

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  • Benn0

    first

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    LeBron James’s legacy will be that he had to change teams just to beat an old Boston squad that was on its way out anyway.

  • Benn0

    I’m not looking forward to eboy smug comments.

  • toinefan88

    Atleast we know they had to cheat to beat us.

  • Benn0

    And big whoop (sarcasm), you beat an old celtics team, that had a point guard playing one handed, a centre who had back problem, another one who just sat on the bench and pp and delonte where both beat up.
    And lequeen had to join up with wade and bosh, just to beat them. Just can’t wait until dRose tears them up in the next round.

  • cklyn sazer

    it wasn’t age that beat the celtics it was the same thing that got the celtics past the knicks- injuries–ny played boston fairly well and miami didn’t exactly trounce boston, all those games could’ve gone either way. ( ask greg oden if age is the only factor for injuries)

  • Brahsef

    And D Rose will soon find out why he needs another elite level player to move forward. I feel like Chicago will be an easier series than Boston. D Rose can only do so much.

  • DANWIL

    HATERS!!! HOW CAN ANYBODY FAULT A MAN FOR WANTING TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP??? HE’S RIGHT HE HAD TO LEAVE CLEVELAND TO DO IT. CLEVE WAS TOO CHEAP TO GET HIM HELP. NO DISRESPECT TO OTHER PLAYERS AND WHO KNEW BOSTON WOULD BE SO BEAT UP? THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SAID HAD THEY WON!

  • Yesse

    He doesn’t have to apologize. Basketball is a business and i still can’t understand how Cleveland got so emotional.

  • Morgan

    Every year its the same thing when Boston don’t win – “its the injuries”…its a part of the game, deal with it. They were beaten by a better team…And if Doc Rivers utters the phrase “Miami hasn’t beaten our starting 5″ or anything like that I’ll lose all respect for the Boston Celtics.

  • AD

    @ Yesse they get so emotional because When lebron was on the cavs, that team was an escape from reality in wa way.. they were winning a lot but now its back to the old SH**** life in clevland for sports. Plus they worshiped him

  • Anderson

    I agree with Yesee, move on already, it’s a business. Lebron needed to move on, get some help and go to a bigger market. Where would you rather live, Clev or beautiful Miami with it’s weather, girls and beaches? Not a hard choice. I hope they destory the Bulls and then the Thunder…

  • Brahsef

    The Indians are killin it!

  • BK

    I understand why they got so emotional…if D-Rose ever leaves the Bulls I literally don’t know what I would do with myself
    Also I think the Bulls matchup way better with the Heat than they do the Hawks although the big three is going to do what they do, the Bulls have solid defenders in Deng, Bogans, Brewer, Noah, and Taj to throw at those guys and have a shot. Who does Miami have to guard Derrick? Wade? Lebron sure can’t stick with him and I think Wade is their best option and I still don’t think he cant stick with him…I hope Bulls close out the series tonight and Miami vs. Bulls will be a treat
    I can’t wait!!
    Go Bulls!!!
    D-Rose=Chicago Legend (already)

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    But Miami isn’t a “bigger market” tho…

  • BK

    Another thing, I know Lebron is a great player but going to Miami was a complete cop out. He says the Celtics inspired them to make that move but the Celtics did it towards the end of all their careers and they didn’t have 2 of the 3 best players in the league period. Lebron could have won a ship somewhere else I’m sure of it but the fact that he was so insecure about his ability to win that he had to team up with those other two seems a bit embarrassing to me for the “best player in the league”. I would love to see the Heat get stomped by someone…probably wont happen…but it would be great to see. Heat SUCK!!! I’d rather see the Mav’s win and I hate them too for always choking and then whooping Kobe.
    Go Bulls

  • Pingback: LeBron Apologizes – Kansas City Star

  • Ryan

    I hope Chicago beats them in four. Then LeBron James can get down on one knee and apologize to Miami.

  • http://yahoo.com stickball

    nice stuffs lebron james wade, and bosh. and for the miami bench, without either miami wouldnt be as good as they’re now. blieve that. :)

  • http://www.slamonline.com Cheryl

    I’ll leave Eboy to eviscerate your comments, but I just have to say as much as I appreciate the relief of beating a nemisis (and it has more to do with their mental hold on the Heat, not their age/ability), this is not over. It kinda worried me that they celebrated like they’d won the championship. Hey guys, you’re only half way there and it won’t get easier. So yeah, enjoy this win, as most of South Florida will, but return to work on Friday and prepare to deal with Rose and his cronies. Okay, Eboy, you have the floor.

  • Mike From Spain

    The series against the Bulls depend on whether the Heat can stop Rose (or if he doesn’t get any injuries) and whether the Bulls can stop Lebron. Wade cannot be stopped, and you don’t need to stop Bosh.

  • Gritty

    Apologize for what? He doesn’t owe Cleveland anything…and I doubt that those fans are going to forgive him for leaving any time soon.

  • http://www.nba.com/celtics Byebye

    It’s a warmer climate a bigger market it’s prob the 7 biggest market Miami is a great destination for players

  • AD

    cosign @ cheryl they acting like the champs n **** plus drose gon giv em some probs… and if they do beat the bulls RW and KD gon kill da heat

  • http://www.nba.com Gman

    Howcome their old, when the heat win. But the heat suck when Boston owned them this year in regular season.

  • http://www.twitter.com/flavaklav Klav

    This has been quite the playoffs. Setting the standard, it has been great. Even with my team out, it still hurts. But this is too good to watch. Even if you don’t want Miami to win, you still have to watch just to watch the two best open court players. Bulls v. Miami should be guaranteed platinum. Lets see if this was all worth it LeBron.

  • http://www.boogiewilliams.com Boing Dynasty

    @BryanCrawford, Cleveland is actually the 45 most populated city in the US, exactly 1 spot behind Miami at 44th. Plus theres a huge amount a undocumented illigal immigrants in Miami so its not even that close. and saying LBJ’s legacy will be changing teams to beat Boston is a little short sighted.

  • logues

    i really hate how he says “couldnt do it by myself” and “paired with two guys” like the role players dont mean a thing and its all about him. i really hope they lose, cannot stand bosh! really tho i think dallas is takin it all

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    Sure rose will get 25-30 a night, but wade and lebron will get 25-30 and bosh the way things are going will beat the boozer match up. And noah has to be big aswell.

  • apache

    he’s acting like he won the whole chip already give it a rest

  • http://www.slamonline.com J

    What was wrong with the way the celebrated? Its not like it was the parade it just looked crazy cause every camera was around wade and lebron.

  • snasty10

    damn i feel like he just threw more salt into Cleveland’s open wounds

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    G-Man said it best. Hate away….’cause you can’t spell Heat without hate. Dinnertime is right around the corner.

  • 1982

    @Logues, the big three scored 81 out of 97. I don’t think it’s that they did it without the role players. It’s that their role players can’t do anything without them. Chicago can play with DRose sitting. Without LBJ and D3, this team is worse than Toronto when Bosh was there. Is there talk of the Heat cheating still? They just Yankee’d it up. Would it have been more acceptable if Bron and Wade had waited until they were all KG’s age before they did it? And no, they didn’t celebrate too much – yes, there’s still 2 series left, but the Celtics were the first reason they super teamed it up. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be here and everyone would’ve been making fun of how they couldn’t get over the Boston hump.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Eboy

    It’s kind of shameful then that a three man team just beat two 5+ man teams then. We good!!!!!!

  • http://theresastatforthat.blogspot.com deron

    The Celts were dominated in this series during the most critical moments; those moments when the experience advantage becomes the age disadvantage. I really enjoyed their run and I was pulling for them to win this year, but the only game they won was the one that most of the losing teams in a five-game series win – Game 3. I hope to see a Miami-Dallas rematch, could be one of those exciting NBA Finals in years.

    http://theresastatforthat.blogspot.com/2011/04/game-3-in-nba-playoffs-potent-mixture.html

  • JTaylor21

    Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate!!!!
    I wouldn’t expect anything less coming from the world class rose peddler, don’t you have some mediocre “rose is the second coming of Christ” article to write?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Max

    Lebron is emotional, like a Bowsh!

  • KC

    Damn the haters are still hating huh? Get over it people!!!!! your going to be miserable for the next 8 years watching the heat. Lebron wanted what every other championship team in history has had and that is some help!!! Jordan had help, kobe had help, Duncan had help, Magic had help, russel had help!!! Pierce KG and Ray helped each other!!!! Why are the Celtics looked at differently than the heat?????

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I actually was shocked at the way these comments trended. I guess I didn’t really understand you people.
    Man, I thought dude was thoughtful and honest. No arrogance. Yes, the celebration was a tad excessive, but clearly he and Wade were carrying around some silverbacks on their backs as it related to Boston. And for Bron to get the W while KILLING in the clutch, man if you can’t appreciate that moment, I don’t know if you really love the game as a whole.
    Last night was a memorable night with the performances and the explanations, at least for me.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Great win by the Heat. No need to discredit them like some people do of past Champions. They are moving on to the East Finals thats pretty incredible. Lets see if anyone can stop these guys. Bulls defense is maybe just the trick.

  • http://slamonline.com Ugh

    There is NO WAY Wilt would have beat the Celtics with that Starting 5 back in the day. Players then were just better at starting 5 than they are today.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Angel of Stern

    I 100% completely agree with Allenp.

  • shuref00t

    Everyone’s expecting Heat vs Bulls. C’mon, Hawks ain’t out of it yet! Hahaha!

  • angus

    well maybe if he hadnt quite against boston in there last series…..

  • http://pickandroll.tumblr.com/ airs

    Lakeshow didnt u used to hate on D Rose when the playoffs began??

  • JTaylor21

    Well maybe if you had paid attention in English class……….

  • http://bulls.com airs

    hey that wasn’t me. wtf.

  • http://bulls.com airs

    ksjafhklsdhfkl, that wasn’t me at 11:47

  • Ridge

    “I knew deep down in my heart, as much as I loved my teammates back in Cleveland and as much as I loved home, I knew it couldn’t do it by myself against that team,” James said. “The way it panned out with all the friends and family and the fans back home, I apologize for the way it happened. I knew this opportunity was once in a lifetime. To be able to come down here and pair with two guys and this organization — in order for me to move on with my career, that team that we just defeated, we had to go through them.”
    ========================
    Wouldn’t it have been easier to say that in the beginning and just make your move without all the theatrics? Doubt you’d be as viled now.

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