“I was just out there trying s**t … It just felt so perfect” - LeBron James says he was in the zone during his famous Game 6 performance vs the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals
LeBron James shared insight on his incredible Game 6 performance against the Boston Celtics in the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference finals.
From the opening tip, James was locked in, with his first bucket being a dunk off the drive. Nothing stopped him from that moment, as almost everything he put up found the bottom of the net.
It is difficult to put a finger on what inspired a performance like that. However, James said he was just "in the zone."
On The Shop, LeBron James revealed that he had no idea what was going on and was just trying things. Most of the tough shots kept falling.
(From 17:13)
"I was about to call that being in the zone. You wish you can tap into that s**t more often. When it happens, you have no idea what the f**k is going on. You just trying s**t that you never even tried before, like silly s**t," LeBron said.
"That game I had in Boston, Game 6, down 3-2, it got to a point where I was just out there trying s**t. One leg, off the wrong foot, bump fades off my right shoulder. I'm not even a right-shoulder bump-fade guy."
When asked if he knew at what point he was in the zone, he said:
"I mean, I started a game, like, eight for eight. And every time I was shooting, it just felt so perfect, and it was barely touching the net like, going straight through, like a bird just goes straight through the water--phew!"
To date, it is arguably one of James' greatest playoff games. He finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to prevent the Miami Heat from getting eliminated.
LBJ also pointed out that his mentality going into the game was to avoid Pat Riley breaking the team up. He was also playing for his legacy.
LeBron James on mentality heading into epic Game 6 of Heat-Celtics in 2012 ECF- “If we lose, Pat Riley may break us all up. It might be the quickest breakup in basketball history. Not only that, but my legacy gonna take a huge hit if I don’t go out & perform at an all-time high.” https://t.co/M6zMOs5kJH
The Heat went on to win their first title with the big 3 of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh after defeating the OKC Thunder. Despite winning Game 1, OKC lost four straight despite Kevin Durant's strong play.
LeBron James says he dislikes the Boston Celtics fans the most
Fans can affect a player's performance, making road games some of the most difficult. James stated that Boston's fanbase has given him the most trouble.
Although he pointed out that he did not let it affect him, James said they were racist. He called it out as often as he could while on the floor. LeBron has faced off against the Celtics in the playoffs on several occasions.
LeBron has played against the Celtics less since joining the LA Lakers and the Western Conference. He has only faced them in the regular season.
LBJ might have difficulty playing at TD Garden next season as fans prepare to respond to his comments.