LeBron James is over analytics.
The face of the NBA launched a war against numbers after watching C.J. McCollum drop a long two-pointer — dubbed the worst shot by analytics gurus — in the final seconds Sunday to secure the Portland Trail Blazers’ Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets.
“That’s exactly why I don’t wanna hear all that analytics talk! In PLAYOFF games when it usually come down to 1/2 possession games down the stretch, just get me bucket! The best shot during that possession. And if it’s a Pull-up 2 then so be it cause it was the best SHOT!” LeBron tweeted while sitting out the postseason for the first time since 2005.
McCollum, though, didn’t really miss from anywhere, as he poured in a game-high 37 points to lift the Blazers into a Western Conference Final showdown against the Golden State Warriors. Fellow star Dame Lillard, meanwhile, was off in a 13-point effort.
The value of long two-pointers has long been debated, as the 3-point trend continues to take over. The Rockets, for instance, averaged 45.39 3-pointers per game this season, an NBA record, topping their historic marks the past two years.
But LeBron isn’t having it — at least for now.
“When y’all want to talk REAL basketball let me know,” the King added with a grinning emoji.