One week ago, it was revealed that LeBron had watched ‘The Godfather’ six times throughout the playoffs.
Over the past week, who knows how many more times the Don of Cleveland has seen it?
I wanted to get in LeBron’s frame of mind heading into Game 7, so I watched Parts I and II of the trilogy on Saturday.
Here are 7 quotes from the epic trilogy, pertaining to LeBron Corleone and his Cavalier family, as they head into Game 7, the day to meet their destiny.
1. “A Man Who Doesn’t Spend Time With His Family Can Never Be A Real Man.”
If that quote doesn’t describe LeBron to a tee, I don’t know what does. THe 31-year-old LeBron is all about family. It played as big a role in his desire to come back to Cleveland as anything. No matter what LeBron does on the court, his role as a father and husband have always been at the forefront of his values.
I won’t pretend to say I know LeBron personally just from seeing him at press conferences, but you can tell by the way he emphasizes family values every opportunity he gets, the work he does with his foundation, and the way he carries himself that at 31, he is much more mature and puts nothing above his wife, kids, and mother.
When it comes to basketball, he treats his fellow Cavs like family. Richard Jefferson talked about a dinner LeBron hosted where he invited every player on the team and told every single player how valuable they are to the team and what way they can contribute to winning a championship.
LeBron gave each player personal gifts. He refers to his teammates as his “brothers” frequently.
In the words of Michael Corleone, when it comes to LeBron, “Never go against the family.”
2. “He’s Still Alive. They Shot Him 5 Times and He’s Still Alive.”
The Golden State Warriors must be feeling this way after thinking they had LeBron and the Cavs buried when it was 3-1.
There’s a scene in ‘The Godfather’ where Vito Corleone is gunned down in the street. His assassins think they did the job, but they underestimated the strength of the Don.
Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, and Draymond Green thought the same thing, but they didn’t finish the job. Now they have an even more deadly monster to deal with in Game 7, as LeBron is playing at a superhuman level, even compared to his standards.
Five shots wasn’t enough.
3. “I’ll Handle It. I Told You I Can Handle It. I’ll Handle It.”
There’s a moment in ‘The Godfather’ where Vito Corleone is in his old age and his son Michael firmly tells him, “Don’t worry. I can handle this. I got this now.”
That scene made me think of Kyrie Irving showing LeBron that he was ready to take over. Of course LeBron is still the boss, he still runs the show and is the best player on the team, but Irving’s 41 points in Game 5 showed that Kyrie is capable of taking over and is ready for the moment.
LeBron still has plenty of good years in him, but it’s clear that the next in line to run the family is Kyrie, and he is already wise beyond his years.
4. “I Don’t Like Violence. I’m A Businessman. Blood Is A Big Expense.”
There’s a character in “The Godfather,” Sollozzo, who might be the mafia equivalent of Draymond Green.
He’s playing the game all dirty. Trying to have Don Corleone killed in his hospital bed. He’s just a bad guy. There’s a scene where he laments that he does not like violence and it’s strictly business.
When I saw that quote, my mind jumped over to the Draymond vs LeBron feud/rivalry. The two are friends off the court, but it has been quite a heated battle since the series started.
If we know one thing about LeBron, it’s that he maintains his cool in most situations. I can only imagine how much he wanted to give Green a right hook to the jaw in Game 4, when Draymond tried to pull his below the belt tactics again, but LeBron restrained himself.
Now it’s Game 7.. Who knows what can happen if the two get in an altercation late in the game?
5. “Great Men Are Not Born Great. They Grow Great.”
We know that LeBron was born to be a great basketball player. He had all the physical attributes and gifts from an early age. But it’s the work he has put in that has made him special.
It’s the countless hours in the gym during the season and offseason. It’s the way he takes care of his body. It’s the way he studies the game. The amount of time and energy LeBron devotes to the game of basketball has turned him from what could have been just “a talented, but never reached his full potential” type of player, to a living legend.
Game 7 is a chance for LeBron’s legacy to grow even greater and will be looked upon as one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in the history of the game if he can lead his team back from a 3-1 deficit.
6. “Good Health Is The Most Important Thing. More Than Success. More Than Money. More Than Power.”
There’s a scene in ‘The Godfather: Part II,’ where Hyman Roth tells Michael that health is more important than anything. Roth is old and dying, so he can appreciate how good he had it in his younger years when he was healthy.
This isn’t to say anyone on the Cavs is old or dying, but if the 2015 Finals showed us anything, it’s how important a healthy roster can be in the Finals. This time around, the Cavs have all three of their big three, a full roster, and have made it to Game 7. Without Kyrie Irving’s dominant Game 5, it’s safe to say this series would have ended by now.
7. “Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold.”
It goes without saying that the Cavs are looking for revenge. Last year Golden State won the series on Cleveland’s home floor.
The Cavs have the chance to do the same. It’s already great enough to begin with that LeBron could be hoisting the trophy at the Oracle, but think about how shattering it would be to the Warriors’ season if the Cavs pull this off.
The 73-win, “greatest season ever” will go down as the worst NBA Finals collapse in history.
The unanimous MVP would lose to his rival, who called himself the best player on the planet one year ago and is living up to those words today.
Golden State’s trash talk, saying they still smelled the champagne at Quicken Loans Arena, it would all go right in their faces when LeBron and the Cavs are partying in Oakland.
Here’s hoping the Cavs come out on top, just like the Corleones.
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