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Mark Cuban Says 2011 Finals LeBron James Compared To Present Day LeBron Is ‘Night And Day’
The Dallas Mavericks had one of the most grueling paths en route to a championship in the 2011 NBA playoffs. Yet, the Mavericks somehow pulled it off, behind Dirk Nowitzki’s offensive output and a consistent collective effort from the rest of the team.
Their opponents included the Portland Trail Blazers, the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Miami Heat who, at that time built a modern superteam, signing two All-Stars in LeBron James and Chris Bosh prior to the season.
This 2011 Finals series may very well have been the worst playoff series of LeBron James’ career. James rightfully received the brunt of the criticism for the loss, averaging only three points in fourth quarters for the entire Finals. James’ Finals scoring average of 17.8 points per game was a 8.9-point drop from the regular season, the largest point drop-off in NBA history.
Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban spoke with Etan Thomas of Basketball News about the difference between 2011 Finals LeBron James and present day LeBron James, saying it isn’t the same LeBron… at all!
“It’s night and day…He has the basketball-IQ level now; he’s just a basketball savant. The way he sees and reads what’s happening on the court in real-time and stays three steps ahead is incredible. And that’s what makes him special – in addition to his athleticism. He didn’t have that [back in 2011]. We would run a zone against him and he would hesitate and not know what to do. He’s not going to hesitate now. He knows exactly what’s coming and what to do and anticipates it.”
