Revisited: “My legacy is going to take a huge, huge hit if I don’t go out here, and perform at an all-time high” - LeBron James on his mentality before his iconic performance in a crucial ECF Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics
On this day in 2013, LeBron James led the Miami Heat past the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat were on the brink of elimination. But King James truly delivered when it mattered most for the Heat as they beat the Celtics with the final scoreline reading 98-79.
“My mentality was like, if we lose, Pat Riley may break us all up. It may be the quickest breakup in basketball history. Not only might they break it all up, my legacy is going to take a huge hit if I don’t go out here & perform at an all-time high.”
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In one of his Instagram live videos a couple of years later, King James spoke about what was on the line for him and his team going into the game. Having lost the NBA Finals the previous year, the Big Three of Miami needed to win the championship the next year. King James said:
"My mentality was like, if we lose, Pat Riley may break us all up. It may be the quickest breakup in basketball history. Not only might they break it all up, my legacy is going to take a huge, huge hit if I don’t go out here & perform at an all-time high."
It was widely considered to be LeBron James' greatest performance. The 4-time champion put the team on his back and forced Game 7 in this series which they ultimately won.
He dropped 45 points on the night along with 15 rebounds and five assists on better than 73% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from the perimeter. Only Dwyane Wade scored in double digits for the Heat in this game. This propelled the team forward as they captured their first championship together later that year.
How successful was LeBron James with the Miami Heat?
Growing tired of dysfunction within the organization as a player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James decided to bring his talent to the Miami Heat. His move created one of the greatest teams of all time alongside the likes of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It also paved the way for superstars to make moves to form superteams from that point on.
LeBron James reached the NBA Finals in all four years with the Heat and won the championship twice - in 2012 and 2013. The first year ended as a colossal failure as LeBron James had a shocking Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. The series ended in six games in favor of the Dallas Mavericks.
With Dwyane Wade recognizing how LeBron needs to take more control and stamp his authority, he handed James the proverbial keys to the team.
The Miami Heat repeated by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals as LeBron was back-to-back Finals MVP. James also picked up the regular-season MVP award and finished as runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The following season, James and the Miami Heat would once again make the NBA Finals. However, in what was a re-match of the previous year's Finals, the Miami Heat came up short against the Spurs despite LeBron James averaging over 28 points on better than 57% shooting from the field and over 51% from beyond the arc.
It was the last season King James played for the Miami Heat as he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015 with the hopes of bringing a championship to Cleveland. He succeeded in his endeavor in 2016, overcoming Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.