When desperate times call for it, LeBron James can still reach in his bag of tricks from yesteryear to play defense. Jamal Murray, a legit budding superstar who is otherwise playing well, can attest to this after Thursday evening.
With roughly five minutes left in Game 4, as the Los Angeles Lakers clung to a four-point lead, one of the greatest players in basketball history decided it was time to take the game over… on defense. The King was set to guard Murray, who had another stellar outing, to prevent yet another clutch Nuggets performance.
"LeBron asked for the assignment, and obviously I granted it," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of the 35-year-old James after the Lakers' 114-108 win drew them to within one victory of the NBA Finals, as Los Angeles now leads the Western Conference finals 3-1.
At that point in the game, Murray had 28 points. While he did manage to secure four more, James actually held the Nuggets point guard to 0-2 shooting from the floor during clutch time (that’s defined as the point in the game when it’s less than five minutes left and the point differential is five points or fewer).
Murray’s points came when others were guarding him, including this nifty Michael Jordan-ish throwback. And while not directly guarded by LeBron during this exchange, the finish came through him.
Nevertheless, the decision paid off. It also changes the series as a whole moving forward, as a 3-1 lead is far different than an evenly fought 2-2 battle.
"I knew it was winning time, and Jamal had it going," James said of his decision to guard the Nuggets talent.
While Nuggets fans might be disappointed with the outcome, it shouldn’t be taken lightly that the best player of his generation decided it was Murray who needed The King’s attention. Moreover, the immense praise he showered on the young guard after the game should make Denver fans giddy.
"The kid is special," James said. "He has an array of shots. Triple threat from the 3, midrange and also in the paint. For me, it's just trusting my defensive keys. Trusting my study of film. Trusting personnel. And living with the results.”
At the end of the day, though, for the Purple and Gold faithful, it has to be good to know LeBron can still play All-NBA defense at his age, especially given his son, Bronny Jr., is closer to Murray’s age than the King is himself.
"I told my teammates that I had him and everyone else can kind of stay at bay and stay home. I was able to get a couple stops, and we were able to rebound the basketball, which is the most important thing."
Insert all the old man jokes, but as a card carrying member of the Washed But Still Kinda Cool Club, LeBron continues to build on his legacy — not only by winning countless games, but betting on himself in the biggest moments, even in areas most of us believe he’s done excelling in.
James Harden To Philly… Or Something?
Take this one with a grain of salt, but there’s speculation running roughshod, claiming Philly’s interest in Mike D’Antoni is due to his connection with James Harden. More accurately, the idea that if the Sixers hire the man known for lasting seven seconds or less, The Beard will follow.
It’s a strange, complicated rumor because of the moving parts.
Houston general manager Daryl Morey has a nice core to work with, and this season isn’t exactly the best sample to judge the roster’s merits because… you know, just look at the world burning outside.
Then again, Morey could — at least in theory — probably land either Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons for Harden, making it a slight possibility.
Nonetheless, the thing with this kind of rumor is that it’s still a few steps removed from even being a solid conspiracy to work with. The Sixers have yet to hire a coach, and none of this matters if D’Antoni isn’t the man at the helm when the coaching search is over.
Hooray, double negatives!
Colin Cowherd Is An Insane Person
Featuring a video from the man who once character assassinated John Wall for doing a dance, let’s present this footage without context:
Yes, the above is why Carson Wentz is struggling this season. If he were only wearing his hat on top of his head, apparently a few inches off it (Cowherd must be magic), the Eagles would be 2-0.
We (meaning me) spend a lot of time lambasting talking heads in this newsletter. It’s understandable if many of you simply don’t care if the people on your picture-box are pushing the stupidest of narratives, but I can’t help myself. I. Must. React.
In a way, though, it makes the bad guys win.
The bad guy here is Cowherd. It’s a bit of a shame, too. In brief moments between all his extreme FM radio yuckity-yuck bits, there’s some good talks about other stuff in and around sports.
But hey, nuance doesn’t pay the bills.
Quick, someone go get me a a wristband so I could put it on my literal wrist, complain about Player-X wearing it on his forearm, then say that’s why Player-X doesn’t have NBA titles.
Also, honestly, it’s 2020. If you want your face of your FOOTBALL franchise to be a a redheaded quarterback, that’s fine, but let’s remember they’re football players and not the CEO of some Fortune 500 company.
Context matters.
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Joseph used to write a bunch of things for places like Forbes, FRS and others. Now he’s ‘the man’ in management. A big old loser. A washed, leathery face, too. Here’s his own newsletter.