by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
The fact is that LeBron James came up small on the biggest stage during the NBA Finals.
He looked passive and unsure, and his numbers took a significant dip during the title round. James averaged a playoff-low 17.8 points in the Finals and scored a total of 18 points in the fourth quarters of all six games.
The fact also remains that LBJ is still the most talented basketball player on the planet, and the Miami Heat will be competing for titles for years to come.
It’s something Jason Kidd knows all too well, pointing out that winning a ring takes patience, and that the greats often have to suffer crushing defeats prior to achieving championship glory. Just ask Kidd’s teammate, Dirk Nowitzki.
ESPN has the quotes:
“I will reach out to him. He’s a good friend of mine,” Kidd said Tuesday during the team’s exit interviews. “I want him to have success and be successful. But, I think right now, it’s just being patient and all the great ones had to be patient. They had to take their bumps or lumps, however you want to look at it. But, at the end of the day, they all found a way to win a championship. And I think at the end of his career, he’ll have a couple championships.”
Kidd said James has to overcome the criticism and continue to work. “It’s like Dirk,” Kidd said. “Dirk took his licks for losing in ’06. It’s just that now LeBron is in the same shoes as Dirk.”
LeBron James wrote a message on his website yesterday, graciously congratulating Jason Kidd and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks on winning the title.
