LeBron James on Cavaliers being NBA Finals underdogs: 'It's stupidity'
The Golden State Warriors are pretty heavy favorites in their NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And LeBron James couldn't care less.
When asked about the Warriors' perceived edge in the series, James snapped back with a short and sweet retort:
Apparently, "underdog" is a trigger word for LeBron. We went through a very similar discussion last year, as the Cavaliers were torn apart in the playoffs by injury. At the time, James said that he could never be considered an underdog, regardless of how much the deck might be stacked against him.
That's probably because LeBron still sees himself -- and not Stephen Curry -- as the best player in the NBA. And as the conventional wisdom goes, the team with the best player in a series tends to prevail.
If the Cavaliers are going to stand a chance in these Finals, they'll need LeBron to be head and shoulders above Curry for seven games. That's the only way the rest of Cleveland's Big Three can play up to their potential. Otherwise, they start pressing, trying to pick up the slack that LeBron fails to carry. Then they end up out of position, and the Cavs spiral into panic and distrust.
That kind of chaos feeds the Warriors, who aren't exactly the kings of poise themselves. But if James can slow the game, impose his will on every possession and flex his might as one of the greatest ever? Then the Cavs will have a chance at bringing a long-awaited title to Cleveland, regardless of what the odds say. Or who the "overdog" might be -- whatever that means.
