Glimpsing Greatness

WITH APPROXIMATELY $150 million in endorsements and a seemingly limitless future on the basketball court, the world is at LeBron James's fingertips. Alas, so are the Pistons--at his fingertips, in his face, nipping at his heels and sometimes, such as at the end of Game 2 in the Eastern Conference finals, raking his arm. For the 22-year-old Cavaliers superstar, the first two games of this series had been the hoops equivalent of No Exit, Sartre's existentialist play in which the main characters try to escape from their own personal hell.

Now, at least, it won't be Embarrassing Exit. On Sunday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, James enjoyed his first whiff of freedom as his Cavs beat Detroit 88--82 in Game 3 to cut their series deficit to 2--1 and give the franchise its first win in a conference finals since 1992, back when James was a seven-year-old pro wrestling fan unfamiliar with the sad fortunes of Cleveland sports.

Even if the victory does not turn around a series that was going the Pistons' way after identical 79--76 victories in Games 1 and 2 (Game 4 was scheduled for Tuesday at the Q), it perhaps presented a template for future Cavaliers success. James was routinely brilliant (32 points on just 21 shots; one assist and one rebound shy of a triple double), as he will have to be for Cleveland to be a perennial title contender. His catalog of big fourth-quarter makes included not only a roof-raising slam dunk over Rasheed Wallace and a shot-clock-beating three-pointer, but also a game-clinching 14-foot jumper with 16 seconds left.

Then, too, James was able to control the game without forcing the action. "We got into our offense early and attacked a lot quicker," James correctly observed. "The Pistons are very good when you allow them to set up." James himself is usually the biggest culprit in that respect, particularly when he initiates the offense at the top of the key. He holds the ball too long before finally taking an out-of-rhythm perimeter shot or frantically driving to the hoop, knocking defenders out of his way like dominoes. He didn't do that on Sunday.

Finally, James's teammates actually made some crucial shots instead of blowing wide-open opportunities. LeBron's supporting cast is not yet good enough to deserve a nickname--don't even think about the James Gang, which is twice taken--but it did show signs of life.

As for James, though only in his fourth season he seems to sense that the pressure is all on him, that a city starved for a winner is looking to him and only him for redemption. If he ever needs reminding, he can stroll outside the arena and gaze up at the 11-story-tall Nike mural that stands sentry on the side of a nearby building with a message that reads WE ARE ALL WITNESSES. That's not Zydrunas Ilgauskas up there.