You get the sense — especially after what happened on Wednesday — that LeBron James knows his Cleveland Cavaliers are outmanned and outgunned by the Golden State Warriors.
Pressed with a question about whether or not the Warriors took Cleveland’s best shot and still beat them in Game 3 118-113, James didn’t shy away from praising the beast he faces.
ICYMI: LeBron James said the @warriors probably have the "most firepower" he's ever faced in the #NBAFinals. pic.twitter.com/JTPQbGdcbI
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 8, 2017
LeBron James on 2017 Warriors: "Probably the most firepower I've played in my career. … You got to play like A++ [to beat them]." pic.twitter.com/BZBnblA4n9
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 8, 2017
By acknowledging the greatness and stacked nature of the Warriors, James does create a little bit of a cushion for himself when it comes to legacy talk. If it’s recognized just how good Golden State is — that they’ve achieved an unfair level of greatness and made a mockery of the superteam concept — then maybe people will take it easier on James when evaluating his total resume. But it’s the truth — the Warriors have four stars compared to three for the Cavs. Once they got Kevin Durant, the power of balance tilted so heavily in their favor it almost became a joke. And if his Cavs can’t beat the Warriors, it won’t be because of a lack of effort on James’ part; the man has been superb in the Finals.
