LeBron was asked if he should’ve done more to support J. R. Smith after his Game 1 blunder and couldn’t believe the question.
LeBron James is doing just about everything for the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals and it’s not quite been enough to pull a game off the Golden State Warriors just yet. With the series now shifting to Cleveland, there’s reason for hope that the other Cavs role players will play better and provide him that support he needs on the court to get a win.
It’s hard to find much to critique about James right now, but people are still finding ways, with some questioning if he was too hard on J. R. Smith following his blunder to end Game 1. The video and still image of James yelling at Smith at midcourt immediately became a meme, while the uncut video of James, Smith, and Hill returning to the bench after the sequence was gut-wrenching.
On Tuesday, James was asked about those criticisms and whether he should’ve tried to “pick up” his teammates more in the huddle heading into overtime. LeBron joked that it was shocking to him that he would be criticized, before being taken aback by the idea that he needs to pick up his teammates more during the NBA Finals.
