Lebron James

Now I will admit I am a biased observer due to my love for the Cleveland Cavs but I think not enough has been made of Lebron James performance last night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Yes the Cavs lost the game but in my humble opinion I think Lebron's effort could be considered one of the top 20 playoff performances of all time.

It was not just the 49 points it was the fact that he shot 67% from the field. Not only that he did it with the full arsenal of moves 3 pointers and mid-range jumpers when the Magic tried to pack everyone into the paint. When he did get an opening, he took it to the rim with authority and had some incredible finishes. When neither of those were open he posted up and unleashed post moves that only a few players in the league could match.

It was not just the 8 assists. It was the way that down the stretch he did not force up bad shots when he was double and tripled teamed. He just calmly found the open teammate and trusted them to knock down jumpers. Honestly he could have had 12 or 13 if the shooters for the Cavs had even an average night of shooting. His court vision has always been great but hid ability to read defenses is a lost art in today's game.

It was not just his rebounding and defense. He seemed to always be coming down with the big boards or huge block when the team needed it.

It was all of that but the image I will remember is Lebron diving on the floor in the closing seconds to try and get a jump ball. How many All NBA players do you see doing that in today's game?

At the end of the heartbreaking loss. I was left in awe as a bloody Lebron had to be helped off the court after spending everything he had and more. In a game where his team did not even have its C game he put them on his back in the 2nd half trying to save the home court.

If there was ever any question of who the best player in the game today is, it was answered emphatically last night. Lebron was at a level that very few players can even dream of reaching.