LeBron James gave the Cleveland Cavaliers his all on Sunday. The King played a monumental 43 minutes in the Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers, scoring 45 points and only taking his first break off the floor after developing cramps late in the third quarter.
The performance was noteworthy, not just because of LeBron’s effort but because of how poorly his supporting cast -- save for Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson -- played during the game.
James was everywhere, and you could tell that he was slowing down as the game wore on. His cramps sent Twitter wondering about his absence, as James walked to the locker room late in the third with Cavaliers GM Koby Altman in tow.
He soon returned to the bench, but didn’t play in the fourth quarter until there were around eight minutes left. According to sideline reporters at the game, LeBron had gulped down several Gatorades and could be seen on the bench eating orange slices.
So, it’s understandable that after the game he was absolutely spent.
Via Twitter:
.@KingJames just wants to go home 😂 pic.twitter.com/iVGacCVCRu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 29, 2018
When you put it all on the line like that and will your team to victory like LeBron did, it’s understandable he’d be so wrecked. James gets a couple of days to recover as Game 1 of the upcoming series against the Toronto Raptors isn’t until Tuesday.
Somebody get that man a glass of Oregon pinot noir and some more orange slices. He deserves it.