King James Gospel
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Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron’s First Playoff Masterpiece

By Dan Gilinsky

Feb 14, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers at Target Center. The Cavaliers defeated the Timberwolves 116-108. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers at Target Center. The Cavaliers defeated the Timberwolves 116-108. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning their 2017 repeat bid today, we go back to the first of many playoff games in the storied career of LeBron James.

LeBron James has had a pretty amazing NBA career, as he’s been The Chosen One since about 16 years old. He has three rings, and the most playoff win shares all-time (per Basketball Reference). Everybody does have to start somewhere, though. In his first career playoff game, us Cleveland Cavaliers fans became introduced to playoff Bron.

It’s the same animal, but a different beast. That’s the opposite of the Kobe commercial in case you’re correcting me in your head.

So back to the performance. It was a Saturday afternoon game at home on April 22, 2006 versus Gilbert Arenas and the upstart Washington Wizards. It was the first time Cavs fans could really “Witness” his greatness, wrote ESPN’s Chris Sheridan. This one was definitely an out-of-body experience for the faithful in the Land.

Bron did what he does best: everything. James had 32 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 97-86 wine-and-gold victory. He didn’t come off the floor, playing all 48 minutes to ensure the Cavs didn’t get off track. From that point, you just knew this guy was something this league had never seen before. The King was locked in, as usual.

It was obvious that LeBron was going to score in this game; the Wizards did not have really any one defender who could stay in front of him. He was getting to the basket on a number of occasions, as the Wiz didn’t really have much rim protection outside of Brendan Haywood.

That said, it was the incredible court awareness and passing displayed by the King that was so eye-popping. He got the supporting cast involved, and that was the difference on the scoreboard.

Eric Snow, Ronald Murray, and Donyell Marshall combined for 43 points and a plus/minus of +18. That was because they were on the floor with the ultimate point-forward in James. Remember “Flip” Murray? I loved that dude.

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This game was a glimpse of what was to come in regards to Bron’s postseason resume. It showed how he could make marginal players around him so much better (cough, Mario Chalmers). He’s done that better than anyone else in NBA history. Now I just need to find that Witness t-shirt again.