No matter in which team he stays with, LeBron James will always be associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brendan Haywood, a former NBA center, has great memories of one particular game in 2015 in which LeBron displayed a different side of his competitive nature.
LeBron often showed his genuine character and passion for the game despite media figures like Skip Bayless saying otherwise about him. Haywood did not agree with what Bayless said about LeBron and the fans were able to see LeBron’s dedication and emotion at this moment, further making him an exceptional athlete who can rise above the myths constructed by the media.
Brandon Haywood tells Skip Bayless to “shut up” over LeBron James criticism
Brendan Haywood, a former teammate of LeBron James, has used a compelling story to refute claims that James lacks the deadly instinct of greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. When the Cleveland Cavaliers were facing elimination from the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Chicago Bulls, James stepped up as a leader and showed no fear.
Haywood discussed James’s insistence on taking the last shot in Game 4, despite coach David Blatt’s play for JR Smith, on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas. James, despite his problems, took matters into his own hands and won the game singlehandedly.
Brendan Haywood tells Skip Bayless to "shut his old a** up" when talking about LeBron's killer instinct, because @bwood_33 saw it firsthand in Cleveland
Full interview with Gilbert Arenas & @KingJosiah54 here: https://t.co/nGpxGGqVhx pic.twitter.com/oHlFhftTva
— Fubo Sports (@fuboSports) July 28, 2023
Haywood reflected on that event, saying, “Playing with him in Cleveland showed me that all that nonsense like Skip Bayless be talking, ‘He don’t have the killer gene,'” Haywood said on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas. “Man, if you don’t shut your old a** up. Do you remember the shot that LeBron hit against Jimmy Butler in Chicago to three [actually a two-pointer] in the corner? So Bron had actually been playing terrible down the stretch of that game.
“Turnovers, missed some shots, free throws, terrible! And we get to the huddle and David Blatt, he draws the play, ‘JR you get right here and get the shot.’ I’ve never seen this, he said, ‘Absolutely not.’ Grabs the clipboard, erases the play and just said, ‘Alright this is what we are going to run. You go here. Hey, I’m going to fake this way, I will pop to the corner and give me the ball right there. I’m going to hit the shot.’ I’ve never seen somebody draw up their own game-winner. Bron’s not scared of that moment.”
James made the move he had planned and scored the game-winning basket with 1.5 seconds left and the score equal at 84. The Cavaliers beat the Bulls 86-84 in Game 4, and thanks to LeBron James’s amazing play in the series, they won the championship in six games. LeBron James was the greatest player for the Cavaliers all series, and his 25 pts, 14 rebs, and 8 asts in the decisive game reflected that.
What did Skip Bayless say about LeBron James?
The Cavaliers lost an intensely close against the Celtics, 103-99 when LeBron James passed up a game-winning shot. Skip Bayless had a very strong response to the contentious play during an interview.
He stated, ” No he absolutely did not, and I sat back there looking at my television, What are you doing LeBron!!, And i yelled so loudly that my new puppy thought i was mad at her.. and i was so frustrated. For the one thousandth time I’m gonna say it again, LeBron James was not born with a clutch gene I’m sorry to say it and he proved me right again.”
Bayless claims that LeBron could have won the game with a three-pointer, but instead passed to a young Deron Williams who was not in the best position to make the game-winning shot. Bayless was convinced by the contentious play that LeBron’s judgment in pressure situations is still not great.
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