San Antonio’s goal, in the 2013 NBA Finals, was clear. LeBron James was not going to be allowed to utilize his all-world talents at driving to the hole, finishing near the rim and creating for others. If the Spurs were going to go down, it would be after James beat them from the outside – taking the sort of low-efficiency, long range shots that San Antonio has long preferred its opponents to attempt.
For a while, it worked; James was discredited as playing “passive” basketball by many outlets, watching as lesser lights like Danny Green shifted the Finals narrative. By the time Game 7 rolled around, though, James had sussed things out. He knew that, despite the relatively low shooting percentages those long jumpers usually splashed in with, he was amongst the league’s best from the outside all season.
"Don't abandon what you've done all year," LeBron claims he told himself prior to the 2012-13 season’s final showing. "If it's there, take it."
And make it, as you can see in the above Game 7 GIF from Drew Sheppard (@DShep25).
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