King James Gospel
Fansided

Why being a huge underdog is a huge advantage for LeBron James and these Cleveland Cavaliers

By Duane Rohrbacher

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James (23) reacts after hitting a three-point shot late in the game over the Celtics Jayson Tatum (not pictured) to give Cleveland a 107-96 lead, on their way to a 109-99 victory. The Boston Celtics visited the Cleveland Cavaliers for Game Six of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals playoff series at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH on May 25, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James (23) reacts after hitting a three-point shot late in the game over the Celtics Jayson Tatum (not pictured) to give Cleveland a 107-96 lead, on their way to a 109-99 victory. The Boston Celtics visited the Cleveland Cavaliers for Game Six of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals playoff series at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH on May 25, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers speaks with the media following Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics on May 13, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MAY 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers speaks with the media following Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics on May 13, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

LeBron is rarely an underdog and no one of his caliber has ever been this big an underdog

This narrative has led to this. LeBron James, the best player in the world, and the best player of all time (sorry MJ) is the biggest underdog of his career AND one of the biggest underdogs in NBA HISTORY.

Do you think that LeBron is okay with that? Do you think LeBron doesn’t have that concept drilled into the back of his mind? Never was Kobe, MJ, Wilt, Kareem, or even Shaq this big of an underdog in a championship series.

One could easily argue that LeBron has a terrible supporting cast and this Warriors team is an all-time great team but I don’t buy it. WE, the media, are crafting a narrative that plays perfectly into LeBron’s psyche.

He’s an underdog. His team isn’t good enough. Golden State is too good. Everyone is counting him out. He’s played too many minutes. He can’t do any more or any better. The Warriors are too good. The Eastern Conference is too weak. The Celtics suffered major injuries. Toronto is a bad playoff team.

Excuses stink

Keep bringing the excuses. LeBron James should lose these NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors should sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0, winning by no less than 7 points every game. This series should end quickly and painlessly, and LeBron should pack his bags and go to Philly, Houston, or LA.

Next: Four lessons the Rockets taught us about the Warriors

But he won’t. The Cavs won’t. And the biggest story in June 2018 will be how everyone was wrong and no one could even imagine what the Cavs pulled off. It’s time to write the end of the story, and it’s time to write the unthinkable. The Cavs can win the 2018 NBA title. And they just might.