Lebron James Cramps Up; Heat Lose to the Heat

Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

Last night, the 2014 NBA Finals began in San Antonio and while it is always hot in Texas, it was really, really hot last night.  There was an electrical problem at the AT&T Center causing the air conditioning to not turn on. While the fans stayed and cheered on their Spurs, one player just could not handle the Heat.  Lebron James was unable to finish the game and had to be taken to the locker room after suffering severe leg cramps.

James missed the final four minutes of the game which is when the Spurs went on a tremendous run to take the game one win. This is not the first time James has had to leave a game because of cramps which makes it harder to believe he did not better prepare for the conditions of the arena.  In the first three quarters, James was having a good game, scoring 23 points, making his absence in those final minutes even more dire.

James’ teammates did not seem to mind the heat quite as much.  Both Shane Battier and Chris Bosh said they were used to playing in buildings without air conditioning. “I don’t care. I’m from Texas, man. We couldn’t afford air conditioning in high school,” Bosh said.  The Heat arena has tried to accommodate the superstar, but surely San Antonio was not going to do the same.

As gifted as an athlete as Lebron James is, he is so vulnerable to extreme heat.  It is hard to believe that he never played in the dog days of summer when he was growing up in Akron, OH.  The Heat should have been able to hold the Spurs without James, with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh carrying the load, and the fact that they could not is more worrisome than the cramping in James’ leg.