Following the conclusion of Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals on Friday night, a jaw-dropping revelation came to light regarding LeBron James‘ health throughout much of the series.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, James suffered a serious right hand injury after punching a blackboard following the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ heartbreaking Game 1 loss last week.
Windhorst says the injury was so serious after Game 1 it was undetermined if it was a break.
— Clevis Murray (@ClevisMurray) June 9, 2018
LeBron James: “I pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/popcornreel/status/1005304456315957248
This is a truly remarkable report. Not only does it show the true level of frustration James felt following the Game 1 defeat, it also helps explain his less-than inspiring shooting performances in the rest of the series.
After scoring 51 points and shooting 3-of-7 from beyond the arc in Game 1, James managed to surpass 30 points just once in the following three games, and went 3-of-11 from the three-point line in the rest of the series.
His injury will be something to keep an eye on going forward. While it certainly will not impact anything regarding his much-anticipated free agency, it will be fascinating to see what the extent of this secret injury truly was.
