LeBron reportedly punched whiteboard in anger, played Finals with broken hand
Game 1 of the NBA Finals sealed the fate of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James in more ways than one.
The most obvious cause at the time was the one-two gut punch that was George Hill’s missed free throw with 4.7 seconds left and J.R. Smith’s inexplicable decision to run out the clock after an offensive rebound with the score tied.
LeBron James’s reaction said it all.
https://twitter.com/bidwell_julia/status/1002699230237126658
But now, after the Cavs were embarrassed at home in Game 4 108-85 on Friday and were swept out of the finals by Golden State, another reason emerges why Game 1 wrecked Cleveland.
LeBron James has been playing with a serious bone contusion in his right hand since Game 2, I’m told.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 9, 2018
James punched a whiteboard in the locker room after the devastating loss and suffered a serious bone contusion, according to Sam Amick from USA Today:
The injury was the product of frustration: He punched a white board after Game 1, I’m told. https://t.co/LQ03YbG7Fg
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 9, 2018
After the Game 4 loss, James showed up at the postgame press conference with a brace on his right hand.
"I let the emotions get the best of me and pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand." – LeBron James #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/bj1QPDjF9r
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 9, 2018
“What happened? Self-inflicted,” said James, who had 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
“Postgame after Game 1, very emotional for a lot of different reasons. Understanding how important Game 1 is on the road for our ballclub, what that would have done for us, the way we played, the calls that was made throughout the course of that game,” said James.
A product of the hand issue? LeBron James recorded an average shot distance of 12.6 feet in Game 1. In Games 2-4, that average dropped to 8.4 feet. https://t.co/A6k4JQY8Qu
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2018
“I had emotions on the game was taken away from us, I had emotions of, you just don’t get an opportunity like this on the road versus Golden State to be able to get a Game 1,” James added.
“I let the emotions get the best of me and I pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand,” he continued.
LeBron James suffered a significant right hand injury after Game 1 when he punched a black board in the locker room, sources told me & @mcten. He had 2 MRIs & has been wearing a soft cast. LeBron not using injury as an excuse but kept quiet to prevent Warriors from knowing.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 9, 2018
While he never came close to the 51 points in Game 1, James still had 29 points in Game 2, 33 in Game 3 and 23 in Game 4.
Could this have been the last time we see King James in a Cleveland jersey? Time will tell.
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