LeBron James opened a window Thursday into how he views a game even when he’s not playing . . .
And it’s remarkably similar to how he views it when he is.
As he watched the closing seconds Game 2 of Lakers-Thunder from his Indianapolis hotel room, what caught James’ eye was not Kobe trying to break slightly free in the lane, but rather how much Russell Westbrook was cheating off Steve Blake in the right corner.
“He got caught peeking in the paint, and left a very good shooter open,” James said following Thursday morning’s shootaround at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
So Metta World Peace made the pass that LeBron saw from a high-definition distance.
For James, it was no different than the Heat going to Mario Chalmers for the final shot of their Game 2 loss to the Pacers, or even deferring to Dwyane Wade for a layup attempt late in that Tuesday loss to Indiana.
“I think it was a great play,” he said of the shot that came up short for the Lakers. “Ron Artest made the perfect play, and [Blake] just missed it. You make that shot, you miss it, the storyline gets changed.”
Ah, the storyline. No sooner did Blake miss then James was well aware of what would ensue.
“I thought it was a great play,” James said. “You guys know my answer. I thought it was a great play.”
And that’s the thing, he truly believes it was a great play, just as he was so comfortable in standing by how the Heat played the closing seconds in the Game 2 loss to the Pacers.
You may not agree with his superstar approach, but there is no doubt, as you listened Thursday, that he would do it the same way again.
And have the Lakers do it the same way they did Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
It is why he is not Kobe, but closer, perhaps, in the Lakers’ lineage to Magic.
“I’m not going to get too much into it. You guys know I’ve been there before,” he said. “I thought it was a great play.”
Ira Winderman writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Heat and the NBA for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. You can follow him on Twitter at @IraHeatBeat.
