Since entering the NBA, LeBron James has always been a good player. No matter how much pressure the king had on him, he delivered great results most of the time. One of the biggest reasons why James is considered the best player of our generation is his ability to shift gears come playoff time.
He seemingly has an inhumane ability to carry even the worst rosters to at least the NBA Finals. James proved that numerous times throughout his career. Unarguably, the best playoff run that he had was in 2018.
By 2018, it was obvious that the Golden State Warriors were hands down the best team in the world. But the question was which team they would face from the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
The Cavs had made it to the NBA Finals in the last three seasons, but without Kyrie Irving and a team that honestly looked like a second-round exit at best, qualifying for the NBA Finals looked bleak for the team. However, James shifted into another gear and utterly dominated his opponents.
Jaylen Brown Described 2018 LeBron James As The Best Version Of Him
In the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, a young Celtics team faced off against LeBron James. After taking a 2-0 lead in the series, it seemed like the Cavaliers’ season was finished, but James almost single-handedly led the Cavs to victory.
This was the first time in NBA history when the Celtics lost a best-of-seven series after taking a 2-0 lead. Speaking of that version of James, Jaylen Brown didn’t hold back when praising the King.
(Starts at 2:10):
“The reality is, we lost to LeBron James before we got there. We were a young team. I think we matched up really well if we would’ve had Kyrie. I will say this. that 2018 year when we played LeBron, that was the best form of LeBron that I’ve ever experienced since I’ve been in the league. That 2018 LeBron was special.”
The Celtics’ core was pretty young at the time, but they still processed tremendous talent and could have very well made it to the NBA Finals if it weren’t for LeBron James’ heroics.
It was proven in the 2022 playoffs, where the Celtics, led by the same core, tore the competition apart. They ended up making it all the way to the NBA Finals, but couldn’t defeat the Golden State Warriors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPWJMrLGSHc
