Following Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, LeBron James said something crazy.
James absolutely owned this game — a blowout 117-104 win in which the final score doesn’t begin to represent the wide gap between these two teams. He finished with 38 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
Along the way, he embarrassed Kelly Olynyk with a shameful display of disrespect, sent Avery Bradley packing on a would-be dunk attempt and palmed Isaiah Thomas’ face on a drive to the hoop — a move that culminated with Thomas’ famous headband on the ground.
After the game, James said something that should have the Celtics trembling in fear.
"The energy was there from the start." @KristenLedlow catches up with @KingJames after his 38-pt Game 1 performance. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WGqRR01ajF
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 18, 2017
“After 10 days off, I didn’t feel that great but I know I’ll feel a lot better going into Game 2,” James said during the post-game interview. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Of course, this comment echoes what he said before the game when asked about having so much time in between series after sweeping the Toronto Raptors.
“No advantage at all,” James said, via James Herbert of CBS.com. “Not for me. You get days off, but for me, I’d rather be playing. I feel worse. I feel worse when I don’t play.”
The Celtics had no answer for James Wednesday night.
It was very clear he wanted to get to the rim no matter who was guarding him." – @Celtics Brad Stevens on LeBron James' aggression.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) May 18, 2017
And he wasn’t feeling that great.
That’s probably the last thing anyone in Boston is interested in hearing right about now.