The 2011 Eastern Conference Finals featured a matchup between two of the top players at the time, LeBron James and Derrick Rose. The former rivals' dynamic was interesting because their personalities couldn't have been more opposite.
While James was more pompous, Rose's humility was one of his redeeming qualities. The former Miami Heat superstar's confidence was on full display before Game 5 of the series. With the Heat up 3-1, he reportedly told United Center staff that the ECF was already a wrap.
"You all can pack all this [stuff] up," Bron said . "After tonight, you won't need it."
LeBron delivered on his promise
As it turned out, the Chicago Bulls were indeed unable to protect a commanding lead at their home court, losing to Miami 83-80. James led his squad to the comeback victory with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Defensively, he kept hounding Rose, who managed to score 25 points but on a 9-for-29 shooting clip.
The series saw Bron take on the assignment of covering the 2011 league MVP. The decision helped limit the former Bulls star to an average of 23.4 points per game on 35.0% shooting.
It was an impressive defensive feat for the four-time MVP, as Rose had recorded 28.8 points per contest and a 41.8% field-goal percentage in the previous rounds.
Thanks in large part to his two-way proficiency, James led Miami to the Finals at the expense of the Bulls organization and its arena workers, who were probably hoping to prepare the place for what would have been a thrilling Game 7.
However, such a scenario was near-impossible, as Chicago would have needed to snap a three-game losing streak and secure Game 5 before defeating the Heat on their home turf.
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LeBron lost his pizzazz
Funnily enough, James may have used up all his braggadocio in the East Finals. A different Bron showed up on the championship stage against the Dallas Mavericks. He once admitted that he " wasn't even there " as Miami succumbed to Dirk Nowitzki and company.
While the future Hall of Famer dominated D-Rose in the previous series, he couldn't outplay Dirk Nowitzki in the Finals. Even Jason Terry managed to outscore him in the six meetings, putting up 18.0 points a contest, 0.2 higher than James'.
Coincidentally, the Mavs clinched the series at Game 6 on the road, a result that mirrored the Heat's elimination of the Bulls in the previous round. It's unclear if anyone from Dallas' side had the guts to tell the arena staff to pack their stuff up before the matchup.
Related: "I figured y'all out" - Teague reveals what LeBron told him before sweeping the top-seeded Hawks in the 2015 NBA ECF
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