After game two Dan Gilbert marches into the locker room of his Cleveland Cavaliers and tugs the back of LeBron James\u2019 jersey. \u201cHey, we gotta talk.\u201d <\/p>\n
\t\u201cI\u2019ll give you five minutes when we get back to Cleveland.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou\u2019ll talk now or I\u2019ll suspend you the rest of this series.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSure, we\u2019re down two-oh and I\u2019m averaging forty points a game.\u201d <\/p>\n
\t\u201cI must tell you something of great importance. Please step into the training room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tLeBron looks at reporters, shaking his head, and follows Gilbert.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI think you\u2019re going to be very happy about this, LeBron.\u201d The little owner reaches for his cell phone, presses a key, and says, \u201cOkay, we\u2019ll meet in the prearranged place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tGilbert motions this way, and LeBron says, \u201cWhat the hell\u2019s this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cTrust me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tLeBron grimaces but trails Gilbert out of the locker room, down the hall, around a corner, and through a steel door opened by an armed guard. Steph Curry, already waiting, steps forward and embraces his rival. \u201cI did it for you, LeBron.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cDid what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cDuring the game tonight, I made sure you wouldn\u2019t become hysterical the rest of the series.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cHysterical? I know myself to be calm, confident, and mature.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou appear to be all of those things, LeBron, but Dan and I know you\u2019re fragile emotionally and couldn\u2019t withstand the stress of a seven game series. You\u2019re going to lose no matter what, so I agreed when Dan asked me to limit your agony to four or five games. I hope you appreciate my consideration but, please, keep this between the three of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou\u2019re flat crazy. What\u2019re you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIf Dan hadn\u2019t asked me to do a historical number of you guys tonight, I might have only played very well instead of super-duper. Check it out. Late in the first half you made a layup to cut our lead to seven. I immediately responded with a three-point bomb, way beyond the arc and long even by my standards, and soon drained another moon shot, and all of a sudden you guys are down by fifteen, and at halftime you still trailed by thirteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cHow the hell\u2019s that supposed to make me feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cLet me finish,\u201d Steph says. Gilbert nods. <\/p>\n
\t\u201cEarly in the fourth quarter you again hit a layup to bring your outgunned Cavs within seven. And again I hit a three and another three that put you guys down thirteen and kept you from getting your hopes too high. A little later I heaved another rainbow from way downtown, and it swished to give us a lead of fourteen. You guys clawed back to trail by ten, so rather than setting you up for another soul-destroying loss like in game one, I turned up my radar and nailed a wild-ass three-pointer from the corner to put us up by thirteen. And before long I made sure you got to rest early when I nailed my ninth triple, an NBA finals record. You guys actually had to play pretty well to only lose by nineteen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI should smack your insolent face,\u201d says LeBron.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThat\u2019s not fair, LeBron,\u201d says Gilbert. \u201cSteph did a lot more. Tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cAbout an hour before the game I explained the situation to JeVale McGee and Shaun Livingston and flat told the guys, \u2018Look, we\u2019ve got to do the humane thing and finish off LeBron quickly.\u2019 They agreed and promised a supreme effort. And you saw how they performed. JeVale hit six of six from the field and Shaun nailed five of five. Incredible, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThank you so much, Stephen,\u201d says LeBron, who turns and strides out of the room.<\/p>\n