LeBron James and the Psychology of a Killer Instinct

Team lost, LeBron played big

But what about those times when he lost big time?

Though he played spectacularly, his team didn’t do as they were told that night and they lost 4-1. James scored well early and often but no one else came to play.

We have to remember that it still takes a team to win a ball game. Though James played well during those games, his teammates did not. One of the most glaring examples of these was the 2014 NBA Finals with the Heat down 3-1 versus the Spurs whom they took down just a year earlier. In Game 5, James was mic’d up during the Heat huddle where he was heard saying, “Follow my lead.”

Though he played spectacularly, his team didn’t do as they were told that night and they lost 4-1. James scored well early and often but no one else came to play. He finished with 31 points with 10 boards and 5 assists, shooting nearly 50% from the field. The Heat were eliminated through no fault of his own.

It’s probably why James is back in Cleveland.

One other factor prevented James from showcasing his killer instinct with his team about to bow out of the Finals.

In Game 6 of last year’s NBA Finals against the Warriors, he finished with 32 points 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. Though he shot poorly, 13-for-33 from the field, he was undoubtedly and visibly tired from carrying an injury-depleted Cavs lineup that needed to funnel its offense through him almost every single time for six games.

Next: Finishing Strong