King James Gospel
Fansided

LeBron James: The myth of the “LeBron Stopper”

By Tony Pesta

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: LeBron James
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: LeBron James /
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CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Stopper #2: Andre Iguodala

Playoff series: 2015 NBA Finals

This series was the first of four NBA Final matchups between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors won the series in six games and Andre Iguodala was named the Finals MVP.

A large reason for Iguodala winning the MVP was because of his defensive job on LeBron James. Fans everywhere agreed that the defense played by Igudola was crucial to the Warriors success. Therefore, Iguodala became known as a “LeBron Stopper”.

The idea that Iguodala locked James is actually somewhat true. James shot just 39.8% from the field and turned the ball over nearly four times a game. However, there is more context to the story.

The Cavaliers were already missing one All-Star in Kevin Love. Then, a knee injury left Kyrie Irving sidelined for the remainder of the series. This allowed the Warriors to stack up on James and force somebody else to beat them.

This meant that the Cavaliers were relying heavily on performances from their role payers. While some players such as Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavadova stepped up, the rest couldn’t hit a shot. James was forced to control the entire offense.

I am not taking anything away from the superb defense Iguodala played. However, his job was certainly made easier when you take into account all the factors at play. Still, James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.