In the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were under-manned and even a bit beleaguered.
Kyrie Irving, the team’s ascendent star guard, suffered a knee injury in Game 1 and was out for the series, and they were already without star big man Kevin Love, who sustained a dislocated shoulder earlier in the playoffs.
Any hopes the Cavs had of defeating the 67-win Golden State Warriors in the championship series rested on LeBron James.
After losing Game 1 in overtime, Cleveland managed a win in Game 2, and it returned home looking for some good fortune.
Surprisingly, it opened up a big lead in the third quarter and held on for a 96-91 win, thanks to James’ 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
He shot just 14-of-34 from the field (he shot poorly for almost the entire series), but he controlled the tempo and made it a half-court game, which prevented Golden State from galloping up and down the court like they needed to.
At some point in the second half of Game 3, many fans across the nation likely had a feeling that the Cavs were the better team.
Of course, their lack of available talent caught up with them, as did James’ shooting woes, and they lost the next three games, giving the Warriors their first title of the Stephen Curry era.
But James showed the immense impact he could have on a ballgame, even when his shot wasn’t falling and his two best teammates could not play.
