LeBron James: Having History In Boston ‘Means A Lot For My Legacy’

http://nesn.com/2015/04/lebron-james-to-have-a-history-in-boston-means-a-lot-for-my-legacy/




LeBron James: Having History In Boston ‘Means A Lot For My Legacy’



by Nicholas Goss on Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 11:42PM




BOSTON — LeBron James, like so many other great NBA players, has a special place in the history of the Boston Celtics.

As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, the four-time MVP has taken part in several fantastic playoff series. The Celtics won the first two battles — the 2008 and 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals — and James has emerged victorious in the last two — the 2011 conference semifinals and 2012 conference finals.

James returned to Boston for Game 3 of Cleveland’s first-round playoff series against the Celtics on Thursday night. It was the first time King James had played a postseason game at TD Garden since Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, which he called a “defining moment” in his career Thursday morning.

After a 31-point performance in which James propelled the Cavs to a 3-0 series lead, he reflected on what it means for him to play so many memorable games against the Celtics and be a part of the city’s rich sports history.

“It was about the same, the uniforms are the same, mostly all the players are different besides Brandon Bass being on some of those teams. But it’s the same for me,” James said. “I feel great feelings when I come into this building, and I’ve been on both sides of the fence. The great thing about being here is these fans are loyal to one thing and one thing only, and that’s green. That’s all they see and that’s all they care about.

“For me being a competitor and me being someone they know personally, to be able to come out here and perform in front of those guys, it means a lot. They know the game, they know basketball, they know sports. It’s a sports town, between them and the Patriots and the Bruins and the Red Sox. They know sports, so for me to have some type of history in this city it means a lot for my legacy.”

James will play in at least one more game at the Garden in this series when the Cavs attempt to sweep the Celtics in Sunday’s Game 4. Like many of the game’s best players, going on the road and into a hostile environment is a challenge James relishes.

For James, few arenas provide a more competitive atmosphere than the Garden. He recorded his eighth career 30-point, 10-rebound playoff game against the Celtics on Thursday night. Nobody else has more than three such games in the last 30 years.

“I love road games in the playoffs,” James said. “I get up for those games, even more than the home games. I love the adversity that comes with it. I love going against the opposing fans, the opposing team, everything that comes with it.”





bob
MY NOTE:  He has grown up.  As Niccolo Machiavelli said in The Prince, "it is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both".  Well, there's no way Lebron would be loved in Boston unless he wears green, so he's doing about as well as he can given those circumstances.


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That 45 point close out game six a few years ago has cemented his Boston legacy in the mind of this Celtic fan. That was one of the greatest performances by an opponent in the Celtics home.

"I love road games in the playoffs,” James said. “I get up for those games, even more than the home games. I love the adversity that comes with it. I love going against the opposing fans, the opposing team, everything that comes with it.”


Lebron James has the warrior mentality.

Bird loved road playoff games as well but wasn't so wordy as Lebron. He once said he lovedto listen to the silence after you had the home team beat.

Sounds about right.  For Lebron, it's all about Lebron's legacy.

Sam

Sam, don't you think that James shows respect for the Celtics when he says it's important to play well in Boston?

Of course, I'd like to see him give his best shot and lose and decades from now be like Jerry West--who played brilliantly here--who acknowledges that he is still so haunted by LA's loses that he could not attend playoff games here when he was GM.

Sloop,

I think James says what he thinks will accomplish his personal goals.  He has made enough arrogant statements through the years to satisfy me that arrogance is at the root of most of his public utterances...including the arrogance that convinces him that he can con people with his contrived rhetoric.  I'm certainly not claiming he is alone in that regard, as I feel arrogance has gotten the better of many professional athletes.  But he's the poster boy for it.  I realize a lot of people feel he his attitude has changed, but I feel that what has changed is mainly his skill in the con.

Sam

Even if that is true James recognizes that playing well in Boston can only enhance his regard for himself, whether it is bloated or not, and the regard of others for him.

He respects the Celtics traditions and the Boston fans. Good enough for me.

I wonder just how much hometown bias factors into each individual opinion on subject matters such as this ?

swish

Personally I don't give a hoot about what he says, about anything.
And swish it certainly affects mine no doubt !!

beat

To many great players a game in Boston is special.

During the mid '80's, at the height of the LA-Boston wars, Kareem broke a scoring record in the Garden and the Boston fans gave him a standing ovation.

A few weeks later there was a letter from Kareem published in the Boston Globe in which he thanked the fans and said how much it meant to him to have broken the record in Boston because Celtic fans had witnessed so much excellence that they were the most knowledgeable and could really appreciate his accomplishment.

Classy act from a guy many of us viewed as evil-incarnate.

Then it was back to beating each others brains out.

Sloopjohnb wrote:To many great players a game in Boston is special.

During the mid '80's, at the height of the LA-Boston wars, Kareem broke a scoring record in the Garden and the Boston fans gave him a standing ovation.

A few weeks later there was a letter from Kareem published in the Boston Globe in which he thanked the fans and said how much it meant to him to have broken the record in Boston because Celtic fans had witnessed so much excellence that they were the most knowledgeable and could really appreciate his accomplishment.

Classy act from a guy many of us viewed as evil-incarnate.

Then it was back to beating each others brains out.

sloop

We fans are the best PERIOD !!

Some think the C's have no class???

My ORIGINAL name on BDC was beatLA but due to reason I just dropped the LA and kept beat....( no capital letter)

and the beat LA name comes from one day in May 1982 when the C's were losing to the 76er's in game 7 of the conference finals. In the closing minutes the fans began a chant beat la, beat la, BEAT LA !!!! I remember watching on TV. At first I didn't understand what they were saying but then when I realized it....as much as the C's hated losing to the Sixers... they want them to beat the lakers in the finals !!

Sometimes today I think there is a bit to much comradery on the court between opponents. After the game is one thing but before and during no way.

beat

I remember that "Beat LA" chant.

I hated LA then and I hate LA now. But the world would be a poorer place without the Lakers.

The best needs a worthy adversary.

worcester wrote:He respects the Celtics traditions and the Boston fans. Good enough for me.

I think he is working the media for his legacy, and not so much showing "respect for the Celtic traditions".  He has no memory of what he said last year, the year before that and so forth.  IMO, what comes out of his mouth is just his thought of the day.

Remember when he changed uniform numbers?  He stopped using #23 and stated that he wanted all teams to stop using that number and retire it to honor Michael Jordan.  

Then he took uniform #6, which belonged to Bill Russell, who is at least in the conversation as to who is the GOAT, along with MJ and others.  G Winner OAT at least. Respecting Celtic tradition then?  No, not so much.

Now, he has taken back #23.  He is not showing much consistency with past utterances. Back and forth as the wind (and his whims) blows.

gyso

Hear, hear, gyso.

Sam

We're all influenced by factors in our lives.  However, in posting comments about Celtics opponents, there's a dramatic difference from (1) being biased to the point of being completely inflexible about opponents of the Celtics and (2) having allegiance to the Celtics but having a history of willingness to express both positive and negative opinions about opponents.  If a poster is open-minded enough to register positive comments about opponents such as Jerry West, Kareem and Tim Duncan but posts a negative comment about Lebron James, chances are great that the negative comment about Lebron is due to something more than just blind inflexibility against everything non-Celtic.

Sam

LeBron is slowly maturing beyond his deep seated egotistical jerkiness. He's one serious injury away from developing some humility. Ah, the gift of adversity...