LeBron James and the Psychology of a Killer Instinct

When it comes to LeBron, his killer instinct is triggered and manifested in a very different form, one which is dissimilar to but just as evident in Jordan and the rest of his breed.

Here’s what I learned in my years of watching the King from his early years in the NBA to his MVP-winning years to his championship-seeking exploits in the Finals:

LeBron needs to be challenged with his back against the wall in order for his killer instinct to kick in.

Whenever he is about to be eliminated from the playoffs, he becomes focused and plays with a ferocity and tenacity that makes him nearly unstoppable for an entire game or for long stretches during a game.

This is why he performs best during elimination games, in fact, the best we have ever seen. And that includes Jordan.

This was evident in the following games when facing elimination:

1. Game 7, 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Boston Celtics

James almost single-handedly took down the Celts and almost prevented them from raising their 17th championship banner that year. The Cavs lost but it was because he didn’t have enough help from his teammates.

Final stats: 45 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.

1. Game 6, 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

About to go down as the best player to never win a championship, trailing 3-2 in the series at Boston, James delivered a game for the ages. He shot an astounding 73% from the field, making basket after basket at will, en route to single-handedly deflating the Celtics’ hopes of clinching the series from the first half.

Final stats: 45 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 19-26 FGs (73.1%), 2-4 3-pt FGs

1. Game 7, 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The very next game, still a win-or-go-home scenario, James ripped apart the Celtics’ dreams of winning another championship. When he made a shot from about 35 feet from the basket in the closing minutes of the game, it was evident that James was not to be denied advancing to the next round and winning his first NBA championship.

Finals stats: 31 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

1. Game 7, 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers

In this game, James limited the Pacers’ up-and-coming star Paul George to just 7 points while scoring 32 points of his own. This led to a 99-76 lopsided win that brought the Heat back to the NBA Finals for second consecutive year.

Finals stats: 32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

1. Game 6, 2013 NBA Finals Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

In what will go down as perhaps one of the three best Finals games of all time, the Heat rode on James’ shoulders when he brought his team back into contention when he made 16 straight points after his headband came off. He also made a clutch three-pointer that brought the Heat closer before the dagger three from the corner by Ray Allen tied the game. The Heat eventually won in OT and though Allen was credited for the Heat winning the game, it was James who bullied them to within striking distance of the Spurs who were up 3-2 in the series.

Final stats: 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

1. Game 7, 2013 NBA Finals Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

With the Spurs nearly winning the championship in Game 6, James wasn’t about to give them another chance. He capped off an amazing shooting performance with a clutch jumper and 27.9 seconds remaining to put the Heat up by four versus San Antonio. He finished the game with 37 points including five three-pointers for the otherwise streaky outside shooter.

Final stats: 37 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5-10 3-point FGs

These are just six samples of LeBron’s killer instinct on display on the big stage of the playoffs and the biggest stage that we call the NBA Finals. Each time while on the verge of being eliminated, James would take over and carry his team on his back.

Next: When Teams Loses But LBJ is Big