LeBron James evidently made an impact Tuesday well before the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat tipped off Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
James scored a game-high 28 points to go along with 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Lakers defeated the Heat 102-96, but one of his bigger contributions came in the form of a pregame text message.
“We see the message from our leader saying this is a must-win, and he just left it at that,” Anthony Davis told reporters during a video conference after Los Angeles’ victory, referring to the text James sent his Lakers teammates upon waking up from a pregame nap Tuesday.
Must win.
Simple message, sure. But an important sentiment to express in wake of Miami’s Game 3 victory, which trimmed Los Angeles’ series lead in half.
“I felt like for me, personally, this was one of the biggest games of my career,” James told reporters. “I just wanted to relay that message to my teammates, the type of zone I was in, the type of moment it was and the kind of team we were playing against.”
Message received.
The Lakers, who now own a 3-1 series lead, are one win away from securing a championship, which would mark the fourth title of James’ illustrious NBA career.
