Ever Since The 2016 NBA Finals Started LeBron Has Been More Vocal

The Cleveland Cavaliers should be glad LeBron James has been more vocal.

Everybody thinks LeBron James started his lashing out at the Cleveland Cavaliers this year, as he notoriously came out saying that the team needed a playmaker earlier in the season. However, shreds of James’ volatility could be seen during the 2016 NBA Finals.

In the NBA Finals, you could see a change in LeBron on the court. He was more vocal after the Cavs went down 3-1, lamenting the fact that his NBA Finals record could go to 2-5 and that, if he lost to Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals, he would lose his title as the greatest player in the world.

At this point last season, Curry was the top player in everybody’s eyes and LeBron was starting to decline.

As you would expect, LeBron took that personally.

Have you noticed that ever since the Finals, LeBron has been on a rampage? Taunts directed towards Curry throughout the Finals series. Tombstone cookies were brought in to commemorate the Cavs victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. He’s called out the front office for not assembling the right team so they could compete.

LeBron wants to impose his will on everybody and let them never doubt his greatness ever again. LeBron came through in that Finals series because – let’s face it – if he lost that one people would have questioned his accomplishments.

LeBron’s maturity has always impressed everybody but now, based on LeBron’s recent actions, he’s proved that he can be a little petty.

It’s understandable, of course. If you look at how clutch the Game 7 win that the Cavs had in the Finals was and how much LeBron was doubted before the series began you would do what he did too.

The Warriors won 73 games and Curry was named the first unanimous NBA MVP and subsequently seen as the best player in the league. He was even being compared to Michael Jordan. In the Finals, the Warriors had a 3-1 lead and were poised to be the greatest team in NBA history. Yet, the LeBron-led Cavs wrecked everything by beating the Warriors in that historic game 7 at Oracle.

LeBron is feeling what the naysayers are saying about him but all that’s done is add fuel to his fire; that has him playing not just better but with a purpose.

In a way, the Warriors gave LeBron a new reason to play and a new reason to get up every day and prove people wrong.

On January 24, 2017, he asked for a playmaker.

He followed up his comments to the media on with comments on Twitter:

That, after the Cavs lost their fifth game in seven games.

The Cavs have been fine in terms of the standings because they haven’t lost the number one seed in the East yet. Conversely, they are the number one seed but they haven’t been dominant. That’s the concern.

The Cavs know that everything they do will – or, is supposed to – build up to the Finals because every year they have LeBron on their team is championship or bust.

LeBron has been on the record saying that he’s chasing the ghost of Jordan; that pressure is causing him to lash out.

Take, for instance, last night as LeBron questioned the team’s toughness after their latest loss to the Nuggets who aren’t even above .500.

"It ain’t about a group, it’s about individuals,” said LeBron. “We’ve got to be more, just do more. It ain’t about no group. You can’t just preach toughness, you’ve got to have it.”"

The Cavs should be fine when they go into the playoffs because of the steps they are taking to rest the team and by virtue of the talent on the roster alone. However, it’s great to see LeBron standing up and holding everybody else accountable because he always is and will be the person that is in the spotlight.

LeBron should keep expecting the most from his teammates. Great players, like Kobe Bryant and Jordan have lashed out at their teams in an effort to motivate them and, as a result, driven their teams to multiple championships.

Related Story: 7 Instances Of LeBron Being A Good Guy This Week

What do you think about LeBron James’ comments this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.