MIAMI - LeBron James has an answer for those who felt it gives less than full-time effort in the year playoffs against the Boston Celtics last: "It is corny."
Owner of Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert said that he felt his former star quit against the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last season. James evil played in several games in the series and drew criticism for his play in game 5 when the all-time defeats at home by 32 points with the series tied 2-2.
"Stop", Gilbert said after James was signed last summer with the Miami Heat. "Not only in the fifth game, but in games 2, 4 and 6." Look at the band. The series of Boston is like nothing in the history of the sport for a superstar. ?
Questioned about this feeling Saturday on the eve of his third series against the Celtics over the past four years, James was ridiculed.
"It's corny," said James. "I do not understand this kind of things."
Although the Celtics of heat series, which starts Sunday at 3: 30 p.m. et on ABC, has seven current all-stars and is chock full of many future Hall of Fame, many seek it as a chance for redemption for James. He lost to Boston in the second round in seven games in 2008 with the all-time despite an effort by 45 points in game 7.
The season last James averaged 27 points, 9 rebounds and seven aid when the all-time top-seeded lost to seeded Celtics of fourth in six games. In three losses to the close of the series, James was just 18-of-53 shooting with 19 turnovers. He fought injury of elbow at the time, but he refused to blame his performance on it.
After these defeats, James said that the series with the Celtics became personal.
"" It is personal, said James. "."You want to keep beating the same team; "the same team you home send to plan vacations".
While he often relies on the work of film in his normal preparation, James said he did not looked postseason games last season against the Celtics. Instead, he focused on the four games against Boston this season. And he planned to spend a large part of the Saturday studied film, looking for any edge.
“They play me the same way, each time they try to put two on the ball and I take shots of force jump. He was in the same way for the past three years.
"-LeBron James, on the Celtics.
"They play me the same way, each time they try to put two on the ball and I take jump shots, the force", said James. "It was the same way for the past three years."
The Celtics should say nothing less.
"It would be personal to me," said Boston before Paul Pierce. "I am sure he will take personal and you do not have to wait for its best".
Unintentionally or not, the Celtics played a huge role to implement a shoulder season like no other in the history of the NBA. Boston gave James a push to Miami for a approach to numbers of strength with the heat that was not possible during the passage of MVP two times with the Cavaliers.
Collectively, James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is to assess a better chance and that the theory is about to get to the actual test. They left a combined $ 51 million on the bargaining last summer table, and the victory in this series-of-seven may make money seem unusually measure.
"I think that you have two very good teams, two teams with great desire, two teams with great pride," Director General Celtics Danny Ainge said. "And I think that it will be a great series".
The Celtics have 17 NBA Championship banners, and there is less than that of many lines of story for this confrontation.
Shaquille O'Neal Boston wants to return from injury for this series, such as Udonis Haslem for Miami. Heat know they need to find ways of getting Wade going against the Celtics, coming during the regular season is not. Boston wants to exploit what it appears to be a significant advantage to playmaker with Rajon Rondo on the duo of Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers.
And there is this small matter of the teams simply do not love one another.
"Play-offs is a new season," said Boston forward Kevin Garnett. "New situations, new scenarios. Therefore everything what we have accomplished so far is just history. ?
In Miami, history is not good.
Not only has supplanted Boston two Wade (in the first round) and James (in the second round) of a series of last year, but the Celtics have won 18 of their last 21 meetings overall against Miami - even after the heat rolled to a gain of 100-77 at home April 10lone time they knocked off the coast of kings East defenders in four games this season.
Dominance has extended in the playoffs, too.
The 15 players on list of Miami, nine were ousted from postseasons past by the Celtics, with James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas sustainable out in 2008 and with the Cavaliers in 2010. Single player - James Jones, a reserve with Indiana in 2005 - knows how it feels to beat NBA championship of all time leaders in a series of playoffs.
"I look forward to the challenge," said Wade. "I know that I've not played well against this team." It is no secret. ?
In the eyes of Boston, Miami hopes cannot be pinned on Wade or James. The Celtics said that the key can be Bosh.
Sometimes the man forgot in the series of megadeals that have reshaped the heat of last summer, Bosh had three double-double in five games against Philadelphia in the opening round. When he gets at least 10 points and 10 rebounds, the victory of heat to a clip of 77 percent (24-7).
"LeBron and Wade are LeBron and Wade, said Celtics coach Doc Rivers." They will be large. They were great before the series, they will be great for this summer when you speak, you are going and they will be great after say "LeBron and Wade are great players." That will not change. But when Bosh plays big, then their team is great. And then, it is a key for them guys.
Boston has not played for a week since the sweeping the Knicks in New York in the first round, and the heat was slow starts in all five games of their series against Philadelphia.
"We have prepared lots of time for it" said heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "It is time to throw the ball in the air."
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