LeBron James couldn’t help but find himself pulling for hello Ohio-area hooper CJ McCollum as McCollum’s 37 points pushed the Portland Trail Blazers to an unlikely Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.
Not only did McCollum deliver with an epic performance, he also emulated an iconic moment from LeBron’s own career in the second half of their win. McCollum had an epic chasedown block on Jamal Murray, tying together what was easily the most impressive performance of his career.
LeBron was hyped on the performance from the Canton native.
LeBron also took McCollum’s dagger shots from the midrange to prove to people that sometimes, a midrange shot can be the best shot available. That’s undoubtedly true for McCollum, who has hung his hat on the midrange ever since he entered the NBA.
McCollum showed heart in a big moment for the Blazers and it clearly moved LeBron. Given how things have been handled for the Los Angeles Lakers as of late and the fact he’s forced to watch the conference finals from his couch, it’s good to see he hasn’t lost his love for the game.
