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Miami Heat superstar LeBron James took his fair share of criticism during his first season or so in Miami. The pressure was mounting for James to win a championship and he went out and got it done in impressive fashion to silence many of those critics. Despite the situation, James never really broke down when all that pressure was relieved, and even he’s surprised he didn’t show a little more emotion LeBron James joined 790 The Ticket in Miami with The Dan LeBatard Show to discuss not crying after winning a championship, never lashing out at anyone despite the criticism, any regrets from the past two years, if he’s watched his big games from the playoffs, what he was feeling before Game 6 in Boston and how he has reflected on things during the offseason.
I thought for sure you would start sobbing after winning the championship:
“I thought so, too. I said if I ever get an opportunity and I work toward winning a championship, I think I’m going to cry for sure. It’s going to be like, wow. It was my goal and to finally accomplish that, but I think I was so happy, so proud of my team, so happy to be around all our fans, that the excitement was just too much. The excitement outweighed the tears and things like that.”
After people pounding on you for the past couple years for not winning a title,
how did you never lose your cool?:
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you I haven’t thought about it, but it’s not worth it. I know what it takes to win. I know what I’m here for, and that’s to be the leader of this team, try to put our team in position to win basketball. But also, I know what I’m also here for, and that’s to inspire kids — both in sports and off the floor — to be better. … They look at me as a role model and I believe my role is to help their dreams become a reality.”
What would you point to over the last couple years and say, ‘That was my greatest moment of doubt or regret?:
“There’s a few instances where I felt like, ‘Wow, what are you doing?’ But then I look at the flipside and say, ‘Well, if you didn’t do that, then you don’t learn from it.’ I think that the best teacher in life is experience. I’ve had some instances where I would’ve changed and I would’ve done it over … but it helped me grow and helped me understand, ‘What am I here for?’ … So, I don’t live life with regrets and I know the man above don’t like you to live with regrets, either.”
How many times have you watched Game 5 of the Finals this summer?:
“Less than three, I think. I think I’ve seen it, they’ve been playing all the games back on NBATV. I think I saw it twice, but I haven’t really had much time to sit down and watch.” How about Game 6 in Boston?: “It’s around two or three as well. It’s just from the same station.”
A couple guys admitted they were afraid on the bus on the way to Game 6 in Boston. What did you feel?:
“Confident. I felt like if there’s ever a time to showcase why you’re here, this is the moment. I never sensed that from my teammates. … I was very confident. I’m not going to sit here and say I knew I was going to do what I did, but I was very confident in our team. And I knew it started with me, and I needed to make my mark on that game.”
Have you ever entered a game with doubt?:
Absolutely, plenty of times as a kid, when you look at a team that’s taller than you and have been playing together. … Not as a pro. There’s been games where a team continues to beat up on you and you start to feel, this ain’t our moment, or ain’t our night. For me, in ’07, against the Spurs in the Finals, it got to a point … but I never went into a game like, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose this game.’”
On reflecting on his career and season during this offseason:
“I’ve had probably one or two moments where I was by myself and I tried to reflect on what just happened the last two years, from losing the Finals to winning the Finals and accomplishing my goals and things like that. It brings a smile to my face, because any time you set out goals and any time you set out obstacles and you’re able to overcome things … that means a lot to me, means a lot to my family, because they were there for me. … It just happens. Sometimes it just comes, sometimes it goes. I think the time that I had over the summer … it’s kind of gone full circle.”
It’s going to be easier this year, right?:
“I don’t want it easy. I hope it’s hard; I don’t want it easy, but we’ll see.”
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