Mike Breen On LeBron: 'One Of Best Leadership Jobs Ever'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- LeBron James, maybe more so than ever throughout his dominant career, is on a mission.
James' Cavaliers are decimated by injury after losing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love during this postseason, but the King has willed his team to within three wins of an NBA Championship averaging an unfathomable 34 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 9 assists over his last six games (5-1).
Mike Breen, who is calling his record 10th NBA Finals, says he's never seen James this determined before.
"I think I said in Game 1 that he's at that point now, 10 years in the league with the championships and MVP's, that you start to take for granted what he does every single night and just how great a player that he is, but this is different," Breen told Michael Barkann and Ike Reese Tuesday on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show.
"Like he's had years where he's shot the ball much better. He's had years where he was probably a better defender. But he's never had a better season as a leader. I mean, the way he controls like the whole feel of his team. The way he control the game. It's one of the best leadership jobs I've ever seen, and obviously he still has a lot of work to do. But for this team to lose so many key players and still be right here and battling, it's a testament to the guys' will. He's as a ferocious competitor as I've ever seen. I mean, Kobe [Bryant] is obviously up there and Michael Jordan---there's a lot of great ones. But the way he has taken his team on his back and said, 'let's go guys,' has been pretty incredible to watch."
Listen: Mike Breen on the 94WIP Mike & Ike Show
With the NBA's regular season MVP in Stephen Curry leading the Golden State Warriors, and NBA's undeniable best player in James leading the Cavs, this series---which shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Tuesday night---is certainly living up to the hype.
In fact, Sunday night's Game 2 was the highest-rated NBA Finals Game 2 (10.5 U.S household rating) in more than 10 years.
"We've never had back-to-back overtime games," Breen said. "And the interesting thing Michael [Barkann], is that the game [on Sunday night] itself was not well-played. I mean there was sloppiness. Obviously the shooting was poor, both teams under 40-percent. But there was such a competitive tone to the game from start to finish, that it just, it became riveting. And that it was close. That's all that we hope for, is that the games are gonna be close and go down to the final seconds. We said before the series it had potential to be a classic and so far it's living up to it."