And by “black’ we mean of course LeBron James. The Warriors are the basketball gambling favorites to win the NBA Finals, but The King is not a gambler and as such does not set much stock in odds, or lines, or trends – and the Dubs know that better than anyone else. Golden State was the fave of fans betting on NBA games as well, and yaddy yaddy yadda the Cavs are your current, reigning and defending NBA Champions. That’s not to say that Cleveland should start planning another parade, but ESPN’s Basketball Power Index would be well advised not to doubt the King.
Take for instance Boston Celtics rookie forward Jaylen Brown; “LeBron’s a good player, but I look at him as just a regular guy to me,” the 20 year old said. “There’s bigger threats in my neighborhood than LeBron James, so I have no fear – I have no fear whatsoever of LeBron.” Famous last words. James proceeded to instill the fear of the King in Brown’s little soul on his way to winning his seventh straight Eastern Conference Finals series. “I’ve got to tie my shoes just like he ties his shoes,” Brown said. True, except LeBron probably makes a couple million dollars just by tying his shoes.
The Celtics are no strangers to the King’s wrath, of course. As basketball gambling fans might remember, the Big LeBronowski scored 45 points and shot 73% field goal to tie the 2012 Conference Finals 3-3 and added 31 points in game 7 en route to beating Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder for his first NBA championship. The following year, as people who enjoy betting on NBA games might be able to recall, James posted a 32-point triple-double to help the Heat tie the NBA Finals against the Spurs, and then had 37 points in game 7 for his second straight ring. That same season LeBron and the Heat knocked out a Bulls team comprising Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson in six games.
These playoffs, James is averaging 32.5 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, and shooting 56.6% from the floor, and 42.1% from the three-point line. But where would the King be without his Round Table? When LeBron was benched for foul trouble in game 4 versus the Celtics, Kyrie Irving stepped up with 42 points; not bad for a flat-earther. And Kevin Love is posting a postseason career-best 17.2 points per game and shooting 47.5% from three-point land — which is the third-best percentage of any player to have at least five three-point attempts per game in the playoffs. Some fans betting on NBA games are of the opinion that only a miracle can stop the Warriors, and basketball gambling odds seem to support that assessment. Even if that were the case, who’s to say LeBron can’t pull a Deus Ex Machina? Right now he’s only a King, but he could very well become a Divine King.