Late in overtime of game six between the Cavaliers and Wizards, Gilbert Arenas was at the free throw line waiting to attempt his second free throw after missing the first. Lebron James stepped to the free throw line, put his hand on Arenas and began to say something in a very calm manner. Arenas clanked the second free throw off back iron and the Cavaliers won the game and series off a shot by Damon Jones. What James said to Arenas is a mystery, but it obviously affected Arenas, and he walked off the court after two straight misses shaking his head. If all the big time shots these two hit throughout the series didn't spark a rivalry, then those few words by Lebron at the end of game six, definitely did.
In a series in which Lebron James and Gilbert Arenas battled back and forth for six straight games and combined for 418 total points, one has to ponder the idea of a big time rivalry forming between these two young stars for years to come. James is only 21 and Gilbert is only 24, leaving plenty of time for a rivalry to form.
King James got the best of Gilbert Arenas this series, coming up with two game winning shots, and taking on a double team that left Jones open for the series clincher on Friday night. While James only outscored Arenas by 10 points (214-204) those points proved to be the difference in the series. Gilbert and Lebron took over for their teams late in the fourth quarter, and carried their respective teams. However, King James seemed to be just one step ahead of Arenas the entire series, and led his team to a series victory.
Don't worry Arenas, you will get your chance again, because for you and Lebron, It's only the beginning.
well we now know what james said to gil. and it turned out to be prophetic. "you miss these you go home". lebron and the cavs now really have their work cut out for them.
He had already missed the first, and then lebron stepped up and said something. It had to have an effect on gilbert as he walked to the bench shaking his head. I was hoping someone would ask Lebron what he said but no one did.
Hey Rooster is that what Lebron actually said or were you just taking a guess. I never heard if they said what Lebron actually said or not
Last edited by Blazinhot54 on May 6th at 11:57 AM.
Gil did choke on those free throws, though. He shot at like an 82% clip during the regular season. Still, he's one of the most difficult guys to defend in the league.
Nice post. I couldn't believe he missed both of those free throws. However, I think Gil Arenas is the most under-rated player in the NBA, and I'd argue that he's the best point guard in the league. Very few people seem to notice his talent. Him vs LeBron would be a helluva rivalry.
What position does Lebron play, I always assume it is PG, but he is pretty much a PG, SG, and SF all wrapped up into one. I always knew Gilbert was a great scorer, but after this series I think he is well on his way to just becoming purely great.
Yeah he runs the show - the Cavs would be much improved with a true PG, thouhg. LeBron should be the first to touch the ball AFTER it comes over halfcourt.
Too often this year he brings it up and nobody else moves.
I love Gil. I'm a Cavs fan and was actually upset to see him miss those last night. Very mixed emotions - obviously I wanted them missed, but wish it was Caron instead of Arenas.
I live in Tallahassee and attend Florida State University as an English major. I plan to pursue a career as a sportswriter and currently write for the FSU school newspaper. The desire to become a sportswriter, I think comes from my unfulfilled dreams as an athlete. I still have the passion for basketball and wish I was still playing. I try to use that desire for competition in other areas of my life, and the most prominent area is sports knowledge and writing. I am a die hard Noles and Skins fan and expect big things from both teams this season. Fantasy baseball, football, and basketball are my areas of expertise. Mainly because these are the three sports I pay attention to 365 days a year. I can't remember the last time I spent a day in my life where I wasn't focused on sports.
