Riaan Azikho izimfihlo, azikho izinhlelo ezifihliwe, akukho mibuzo okufanele ibuzwe.
LeBron James bekucace bha – kunomphumela owodwa owamukelekayo kule sizini yonke.
“Kuyimidlalo engu-23 ebaluleke kakhulu emsebenzini wami ngesizini ejwayelekile,” esho ngaphambi komdlalo wangeSonto we-All-Star Game.
Futhi ngemva kokwethuka kancane, yilokho uJames azobhekana nakho ngokulandelayo.
UJames uphuthelwe isiwombe sesibili ngenxa yokulimala esandleni ngesikhathi Ithimba uGiannis lishaya iThimba LeBron 184-175.
“Umqeqeshi [Michael] UMalone ungumqeqeshi othanda ukuzivikela. Ngaba naye ezinsukwini zami zokuqala eCleveland. Ngimtshelile ukuthi ngizomtholela isitobhi esisodwa ebusuku,” kusho uJames ngemuva komdlalo. “Ngazama ukuthola ibhuloho elincane lokujaha, ngase ngibamba umunwe wami onqenqemeni. Kodwa ngizophila. Ngizophila. Angicabangi ukuthi kungaphezu kokukhathazeka ngakho. Ngenxa yezizathu zokuphepha, kwadingeka ngiphumule ubusuku bonke.”
Bekungenye yezindlela zokuzivikela ezidlalwe wonke umdlalo.
eBoston Jayson Tatumoqokwe njengomdlali obaluleke kakhulu kulo mdlalo, uthole amaphuzu angu-55 kuThimba i-Giannis, ephuka Anthony Davis‘ qopha amaphuzu emdlalweni.
Lapho i-NBA iqala kabusha, i Lakers izodinga ukuba ku-sprint – iqembu liyimidlalo emibili ngaphandle kwendawo yokudlala yokugcina kanye nemidlalo engu-4½ kunombolo 6 yembewu ye-playoff.
UJames ukhulume ngaphambi kokuba ukaputeni futhi abhalele iqembu lakhe i-All-Star Game – ukukwenza ngosuku lomdlalo kuyisici esisha – futhi nakuba aphendule imibuzo mayelana nokwephula irekhodi lokushaya amagoli leligi, uJames ugcizelele ukuthi ugxile kwenye indawo.
“Ngifuna ukwenza umfutho ukuze ngingene kuma-play-offs. Angifuni ukuzibona ngingeyona ingxenye ye-postseason iminyaka emibili ngqo. Akuyona nje ingxenye yeDNA yami,” kusho uJames. “Sihlezi lapha phezulu sikhuluma ngerekhodi nezinto zalolo hlobo, futhi kuhle lokho, kodwa nginentshisekelo enkulu yokuzama ukwenza i-postseason futhi sizinike ithuba lokungenela enye i-Larry O’Brien Trophy. Yilokho nje engiyikho. Yilokho enginqunywe kukho.
“Ngakho ngiyethemba ukuthi ngingathola indlela yokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi ngitholakala phansi njalo ebusuku kule midlalo engu-23 ukuze sinikeze ithuba, sinikeze iqembu lethu ithuba lokukwazi ukuqhudelana njalo ebusuku futhi sizinike ithuba. ithuba lokuwina njalo ebusuku ukuze sizinike ithuba lokungena kuma-postseason.”
UJames ubelokhu elwa nokulimala onyaweni naseqakaleni kule sizini, iLakers iwine izikhathi ezinhlanu kuphela emidlalweni engu-14 ayiphuthele. UJames udlale umdlalo wokugcina weLakers ngaphambi kwekhefu ngemuva kokuphuthelwa kwemithathu edlule.
Isihlabani se-Clippers uPaul George weThimba LeBron ugibele i-dunk ngesikhathi seNBA All-Star Game ngeSonto.
(Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
“Okubalulekile kimina njengamanje wukugcina impilo yami futhi ngitholakale nozakwethu ngemuva kwaleli khefu ngoba kufanele siphushe ngamandla uma sifuna ukwenza noma yini ekhethekile,” usho kanje.
Umdlalo wangeSonto uqale ngokulungiswa kwenkundla yokudlala. Kwabaqalayo, uJames wakhetha indoda enkulu yasePhiladelphia uJoel Embiid kuqala ngaphambi kokukhetha owayesebenza naye eqenjini (kanye nenhloso yokuhweba yakwaLakers) uKyrie Irving waseDallas okwesibili.
U-Lauri Markkanen ka-Utah waba umqali wokugcina okhethiwe kwathi u-Memphis ka-Jaren Jackson Jr. waba yisivikelo sokugcina esikhethiwe.
“Bekulungile,” kusho uJames ngohlaka olubukhoma, ethi uthanda izinguqulo zethelevishini ezedlule.
I-Milwaukee Giannis Antetokounmpoobengukaputeni weqembu elibhekene noJames, wadlala into yokuqala yomdlalo, waduka futhi waphuma – isihlakala sakhe esilimele sibi ngokwanele ukukhawulela ukubamba iqhaza kwakhe.
U-Jayson Tatum kaBoston udlala ngemuva kukaLeBron James engxenyeni yokuqala ye-NBA All-Star Game.
(Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)
UJames ufunge wagomela ukuthi “ngeke ahlanye kakhulu” phakathi nomdlalo wangeSonto – umthetho awuphulile ngesikhathi ezijikijela i-alley-oop esuka ku-backboard emizuzwini yokuqala yomdlalo.
Uqede enamaphuzu angu-13 emizuzwini engu-14 ngaphambi kokuthi alivale ukuze i-Lakers iqhubekele phambili.
U-Paul George ushayele iThimba LeBron amaphuzu ayisishiyagalombili ngobusuku bokudutshulwa obunzima lapho isihlabani seClippers sigeje wonke amaphuzu akhe ayisishiyagalolunye.
Ngesikhathi sekhefu, uJames uhlonishwe esiteji ngabashayi magoli abahamba phambili be-NBA, u-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar no-Karl Malone.
“Leso sikhathi kimina, njengokuthi, ngimi phakathi kwalaba bafana, futhi, sengathi, umuzwa onjalo,” kusho uJames. “Ngikhule — Ngiyazi ukuthi le ndaba uyizwa ngokuphindaphindiwe, kodwa iyingxenye ye-DNA yami. Ngikhulele e-Akron, e-Ohio, futhi ngicabanga ngokudlala imidlalo ngiye kwaba ngu-21 noma 33 nabafowethu nabangane bami esakhula, sasihlala sizama ukulingisa abadlali abathile. Futhi ukukhuluma nabanye abakhulu kunabo bonke abake badlala lo mdlalo, kanye noKarl kanye noKareem, kuwudumo impela. “
Kodwa kuze kuphele isizini – ukuhlonishwa akuwona umgomo.
Kuyi-postseason – futhi uJames wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi yilokho okubaluleke kakhulu.
