Game 6 of the NBA Finals is upon us.
Everything is on the line for the Miami Heat and LeBron James as they face elimination against the San Antonio Spurs at home in Miami. Pressure has mounted and their backs are against the wall. Win and survive to play for everything; Lose and go home to a summer of criticism and speculation.
If the Heat go down, don’t expect LeBron James to be the cause. He will play great in Game 6.
How can we be sure of that?
Well, we can use empirical science, citing statistical data that shows that James shows up to play in critical situations.
LeBron James – 31.5 PPG all-time in elimination games is highest in @NBAHistory; MJ (31.3), Wilt Chamberlain (31.1) @EliasSports
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 18, 2013
So, from this information, we can glean that when facing elimination, James plays on a level that is historically second to none—even Jordan. [Podcast Heat Will Win Tonight, But Spurs in 7] Sounds good, but there is one more reason to believe that James will come ready to play.
A pair of LeBron James-brand Nikes claim he’s already a ‘2-Time Champion’ http://t.co/Q1dPa1KyXz pic.twitter.com/p8jSOKpo7J
— Yahoo! Sports (@YahooSports) June 18, 2013
Nike’s newest LeBron X model shoe, the Low Floral, has been all over the internet today.
If you hadn’t already heard about it, the shoes are getting a lot of negative press because the insole has “2-Time Champion” printed on the interior of one shoe and the dates “11-12 12-13” on the other.
Quite the bold boast.
It is unclear if LeBron was involved in this decision or if Nike simply jumped the gun in producing this shoe to meet post-Finals demand.
My guess is the latter. It is quite common for apparel companies to preemptively make championship clothing in preparation for potential sales demand. That is the very reason that every year ends with thousands of NBA and NFL runner-up shirts and hats going to third-world nations to help less fortunate people have clothing to wear.
What we can be sure of, however, is that it now falls to James to back the claim up.
If his brand and public image are things that he really cares about, he should make it his goal to turn this shoe fiasco into his “Broadway” Joe Namath moment. Win the title and retroactively own it. It might seem a bit boastful, and uncharacteristic for him, but Namath guaranteed a Super Bowl and became a legend for it.
The shoes do look cool. They match his “I invoke my will to win” camouflage outfit.
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Michael Brumagin is the “Tweet of the Day” columnist for Sheridan Hoops.