LeBron: 'I'm here to win a team prize, not an individual prize'
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James has been busy, productive and at times dominant in the NBA Finals.
But the Cleveland Cavaliers are down to their last chance heading into Tuesday night's Game 6, and the last thing James cares about is his statline or any individual accolade.
After he was asked at Tuesday morning's shootaround how he'd feel about winning Finals MVP if the Golden State Warriors win the series, James had an immediate answer.
"I wouldn't feel good about it at all," James said. "I'm here to win a team prize, not an individual prize."
The Warriors have won two straight to take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Tuesday night in Cleveland; a potential Game 7 would be Friday night in Oakland.
"You win or go home," James said. "You come out not with desperation but with hunger."
James is averaging 36.6 points through five Finals games and has joined Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as the only players to post multiple triple-doubles in the same Finals. In Game 5 on Sunday night James had 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists; he either scored or assisted on 70 of the 91 points the Cavs scored in the game and joined Jerry West as the only players in Finals history to score 40 points while recording a triple double.
For the Cavs to extend the series, James said he needs to continue to lead, to be more efficient -- he's averaging almost 33 shot attempts per game in the Finals -- and "to be as dominant as I can be."
Another big game from James is probably coming Tuesday night. But will it be enough?
