As technology increases across the globe, sports analytics are also beginning to become more in-depth than ever before. One of those unconventional statistics that we continue to see rise is player tracking, something Cavs superstar LeBron James apparently isn’t a huge fan of.
Following Cleveland’s Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics, James was informed that according to tracking data, he is currently the slowest player in the entire Cavs-Celtics series with an average speed of 3.4 MPH. Unsurprisingly, LeBron didn’t take very kindly to this fact, blasting tracking data during his postgame press conference.
“That’s the dumbest s–t I’ve ever heard,” James told The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd. “That tracking bulls–t can kiss my ass. The slowest guy? Get out of here.” James went on, “Tell them to track how tired I am after the game, track that s–t. I’m No. 1 in the NBA on how tired I am after the game.”
Obviously widely acknowledged as the best player alive, to hear that you’re the slowest at anything when playing at this high of a clip must be somewhat confusing for James and that was reflected in his response.
However, if you take a deeper dive into the reasoning behind it, you can see how it starts to make some sense. Obviously, LeBron is far from the actual slowest player in this series but his self-admitted pockets of rest will surely impact his pace in a negative way, thus the outcome.
Now 33 and still looking like he is in pristine physical shape, LeBron James admits to sometimes cruise for a second in order to retain his energy for the crucial 4th-quarter stretch. As opposed to other world-class athletes such as Russell Westbrook who explode upcourt upon corralling a rebound, James methodically dribbles his way into a possession, analyzing every nuance.
Either way, that slow pace didn’t stop the Cavs from downing the Celtics in both their home matchups to even the series at two games apiece. The series will shift back to Boston for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday at 8:30 PM.
