HINDI iniisip ni ang kanyang basketball legacy habang papalapit sa ika-4 na NBA Finals victory ang kanyang koponan na Los Angeles Lakers sa Biyernes (US time).
Abot-kamay na ni James ang isa pang kampeonato sa pagpasok sa Game 5 sa Orlando na may 3-1 lead sa kanilang best-of-seven series laban sa Miami Heat.
Subalit habang ang ika-4 na championship ring ay tiyak na mag-uudyok ng pagtatalo hinggil sa eksaktong ranking ni James sa pantheon ng NBA greats, sinabi ng 35-year-old superstar na hindi niya ito masyadong iniisip.
“I don’t really think about it too much,” pahayag ni James sa mga reporter noong Huwebes. “The story will be told how it’s supposed to be told and be written how it’s supposed to be written. But I don’t live my life thinking about legacy.”
Ayon kay James, higit niyang iniisip ang kanyang legacy bilang role model at social justice campaigner.
“What I do off the floor is what means more to me than what I do on the floor,” sabi ni James.
“The game of basketball will pass me by. There will be a new group of young kids and vets and rookies throughout the course of this game. So I can’t worry about that as far as on the floor.
“How I move, how I walk, what I preach, what I talk about, how I inspire the next generation is what matters to me the most. And if you ap-preciate my game, then cool. If you didn’t, then that’s cool, too.”
Si James, na matagal nang tagapagtaguyod ng social justice, ay isa sa pinakakilalang boses sa NBA players ngayong taon nang magsagawa ng protesta laban sa police brutality at systemic racism na sinundan ng pagkamatay ni George Floyd sa Minneapolis noong Mayo.
Samantala, hindi naman nawawalan ng pag-asa ang Miami Heat kahit abot-kamay na ng Lakers ang korona.
“We’re competing for a title, and it’s the first team to four wins,” pahayag ni Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. “There’s a lot of different narratives out there. We don’t give a (expletive) what everybody else thinks
“This is everything that we wanted this year, an opportunity to fight for, compete for a title, and that hasn’t changed at all through these first games.”
Isang koponan pa lamang ang matagumpay na nakabangon mula sa 3-1 deficit sa NBA Finals, at nangyari ito noong 2016 nang pangunahan ni James ang Cleveland Cavaliers laban sa defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Problema rin ng Miami ang kakulangan nila sa tao. Si Goran Dragic, na hindi naglaro magmula sa first half ng Game 1, ay ‘doubtful’para sa Game 5 dahil sa torn left plantar fascia habang si All-Star forward Bam Adebayo ay limitado ang galaw sanhi ng neck injury.
Subalit nakahanda si Jimmy Butler, na naitala ang ikatlo pa lamang na 40-point triple-double sa kasaysayan ng NBA Finals sa Game 3 win ng Heat, sa mga hamon na naghihintay.
“I’ve got to rebound the basketball better. I have to get my guys involved in a numerous amount of ways, and then I’ve got to really lock down on the defensive end,” sabi ni Butler.
“I’ve got to be able to guard everybody. I’ve got to be in the paint and be able to close out in the perimeter. I’ve got to be able to do a lot more.
I’ve got to be able to set the tone from the jump, play with the most energy I’ve ever played with for these next three games, and win. That’s what I’ve got to do: Win.”
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