OAKLAND, CALIF.: Jerry West wants to make LeBron James’ blemished Finals record a little worse than it already is, but he doesn’t think James should be punished for it. In fact, he called any criticism of James ridiculous.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing,” West said Saturday. “If I were him, frankly I’d probably want to strangle you guys [the media]. It’s ridiculous. He’s carried teams on his shoulders.”
If anyone can relate to James’ 2-4 record in NBA Finals, it is most certainly West, who is now working in the Warriors’ front office as an adviser. West went 1-8 in the Finals and remains the only player in NBA history to win a Finals Most Valuable Player award despite losing the series (1969) — a feat James came close to matching last year.
On the eve of Sunday’s Game 2 between the Cavaliers and Warriors, West was an unlikely choice as James’ staunchest defender.
“They’ve been to the Finals six straight times. How many times have they been the favorite? None. Zero. OK? Grossly unfair to him,” West said. “I don’t want to sound like Donald Trump, but it’s hard for me to believe that someone doesn’t recognize his greatness. It’s hard for me to believe. This guy does everything. He’s like a Swiss Army knife. He does everything, and he’s competitive as hell. Frankly I wish people would leave him alone.”
That isn’t entirely true, however. James’ Miami Heat team were heavy favorites to beat the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and lost in what is widely considered James’ worst performance in any NBA Finals. Similarly, Vegas oddsmakers picked the Heat as heavy favorites to beat the San Antonio Spurs in 2013 — which they eventually did.
James said Saturday his Finals record bothers him because of his competitiveness, but not because of his critics. He conceded he is still bothered by his one loss in the Ohio high school state championship game, too. James finished his career at St. Vincent-St. Mary 3-1 in state title games.
“It’s just the competitive side. If I lose in a game of horse to my son, it’s going to bother me,” he said. “But as far as how people look at it and things of that nature, that doesn’t bother me. My career will speak for itself when I’m done with it, no matter what my Finals record.
“Some people never get here at all. I’m at seven [Finals appearances] up to this point. Heck, that’s over half my career I’ve been in the Finals. So that doesn’t bother me. What would bother me is if I went out there and didn’t give it everything I’ve had.”
West, who has a good relationship with James, said he was honored the Cavs’ star read his book, West by West. He said the biggest thing he wanted James to take from the book is just how hard it is to win in the NBA — something James has echoed for years.
“For me, about three times I just didn’t want to play anymore. I just didn’t want to do it. It took so much out of you,” West said. “Again, I’m a lot different than most athletes — I’m much more serious about everything, wired completely differently. And when you’re like that it hurts more.”
The Cavs trail the Warriors 1-0 in the series and are again considered underdogs to end Cleveland’s 52-year championship drought. West compared losing in the Finals to being a child who can’t reach candy behind a window.
“You can almost touch it but you can’t get there,” West said. “And the elation of winning, I’ve often said there’s more great stories in a losing locker room than a winning locker room. Great stories. And no one cares to go there, because this country relishes, as everyone does, they relish winners. But I mean there’s some devastated people in that other locker room, devastated. And unfortunately that was the case for me many years.”
West had the unfortunate timing of sharing an era with Bill Russell, whose Boston Celtics teams beat West’s Los Angeles Lakers six times during the 1960s. West lost each of his first seven Finals appearances before finally winning a title in 1972.
“Sure it bothers me. Even today it bothers me,” West said of his Finals record. “No fun to get there that many times and not get the results you want, regardless of how you played. In the playoffs, the best players are supposed to play better. I did. It made no difference. We weren’t good enough.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.