Roy Hibbert has a chance to become a serious part of history. (Credits: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) |
Don't get me wrong, I liked his speech. I thought it was fiery and yet not over the top or overly angry. Save the gaffe that I won't go into, it's the kind of speech that could be remembered forever (if they win it all). But it also could be the press conference that sets LeBron off, because let's face it, LeBron has once again found himself in a predicament. We all know how he answered last year when KG finally hit that nerve, dropping 45 points with insane efficiency and vicious intensity. Could Hibbert's f-bomb and spotlight soaking fuel LeBron? Well if he has any pulse, it shouldn't matter. This is a legacy game for him.
Yet it could also be a legacy game for Hibbert. He's been maligned for much of his career for being too soft, for hanging around outside of the paint. A guy of his height and stature should not leave the paint ever, aside from resetting his three-second count. Now that he's developing into that menacing post player, he's really become a star in this league. But that could all come crashing down if he has a bad game. He needs to score, he needs to defend, he needs to rebound and above all he needs to make LeBron and company fear the paint. Fear the paint. That's what Shaq did, what Patrick Ewing did, what Hakeem did. It's a crazy thought to put Roy Hibbert anywhere close to those three names, but he's 26 and on the verge of sending his team to a stunning NBA Finals appearance Who knows how good he could become and what a win (and a big performance) could do for his psyche. He's already revved up, a win here may propel his career toward greatness.
Although, knowing Hibbert even from his Georgetown days, he can easily be destroyed by a loss. Add a loss on top of this explosive press conference and this could be a confidence shredder. Hard to think that's the case when he seems like the most confident guy in the NBA as of now, but we've seen it before from Hibbert. He can wither right before our eyes, seemingly to forget that he's 7-foot-2 and blessed with such gracefulness. We thought he had completely turned the corner last year when he earned his first All-Star appearance, then he had an ugly regular season campaign this time around. Now he's back once again playing at a high level. So the questions remains, will he wilt tonight under a new found pressure? Or is it his time to etch his name into the history books.
Look across the way and he'll see LeBron fighting for that same legacy. Game 7 tonight, for all the marbles. In this case, the ones inside their heads.
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