LeBron James gets a lot of criticism from NBA fans everywhere. When you're one of the greatest (if not the greatest) players of all-time, that just comes with the job description. One of the biggest criticisms of the Lakers star is that he isn't “clutch”. That is, he doesn't “show up” when it's time to win games. As Game 4 proved, though, LeBron is one of the most clutch players in the planet. Don't believe me? Well, this stat from Nick Wright might convince you.
“LeBron James how has SEVEN game winning or game tying shots in the final :01 of playoff games. No one else in the last 26 years (as far back as the @Stathead database goes) has more than 2.”
The narrative regarding LeBron James not being a “clutch player” likely stems from his willingness to pass the rock. The Lakers star is one of the most ferocious slashers in the league, and his drives command a lot of attention. LeBron usually capitalizes on his “gravity” by swinging it to the open man.
However, don't be fooled by his pass-happy tendencies. When the game is on the line, LeBron absolutely has the capacity to take over games. We saw that in action in Game 4 of the Lakers' series against the Grizzlies. LeBron took on a supporting role for most of the game. When overtime rolled around, though, the King took over and made sure that the upstart Memphis squad stayed down.
The Lakers will now travel back to Memphis in what is hopefully going to be the final game of their series. Will LA need LeClutch to save them again in Game 5? Or will they completely annihilate the Grizzlies on the road?
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