The 2018 NBA Finals produced one unforgettable moment for basketball fans to discuss today. That wasn’t about the dominant sweep of Cleveland of the Golden State Warriors.
The iconic moments had nothing to do with the performances of Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant.
Despite Kyrie Irving’s trade with Boston shortening the Cavaliers, the heroic efforts with limited support from LeBron James weren’t the story either.
The decisive moment came from JR Smith’s inexplicable mistake in the final seconds of Game 1. George Hill missed an important free throw as the scores were tied up later in the regulations.
Smith grabbed the rebound, but then dribbling out of the basket.
That play forced Golden State to work overtime, which decisively won 124-114. Momentum moved to the Warriors forever, leading to a complete 4-0 sweep.
On the podcast, Smith recalls the situation and admits his mistake while explaining his confusion in the moment.
“Next time George gets the ball on a free throw, I’m right. It’s okay. Bet. Get the ball. We call the timeout. They’ll try the foul anyway.
“Get the ball. No one time out. Dribble it. The game had to finish,” he continued.
Smith saw LeBron desperately pointing to the basket, realising his error and signaling his attack. By then it was too late.
“I see LeBron. Bron, I’m pointing this out. Ah, this, ah, ah, ah, ah, a guy. And then I knew this s__ just didn’t happen. It’s not the final,” recalls Smith.
“I was like, ‘If the ball dies anyway’, so I was going to the other way around and trying to steal the rebound so I’m thinking if the ball can at least try it somewhere. ”
Smith was not alone in the chaos. Former Warriors player Nick Young recently revealed shock at Smith’s decision to dribble from the rim instead of trying to hit a game.
The 2018 final marked the end of the era of LeBron and Cleveland, losing three of four consecutive finals against the Golden State Dynasty.
That single-player became a critical moment that sealed their fate and denied them another championship opportunity.
It also proves how important it is to secure Game 1 in the NBA Finals, where teams have a lot of pressure.