LeBron James and the Cavaliers consistently beat many great Eastern Conference teams in the playoffs. One former NBA star explains the emotions of it all.
From 2015 to 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it to the NBA Finals four seasons in a row. LeBron James was a man on a mission during those years.
The Warriors caught LeBron by surprise in 2015, and then dominated with Kevin Durant in 2017 and 2018 to win three championships. But no team in the East had an answer for the Cavs.
The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors lost multiple series against Cleveland with James. The Indiana Pacers, who are currently in the NBA Finals, also lost a heartbreaker to them.
In 2018, Indiana faced off against the Cavs in the first round. They lost in Game 7, and the star of that team recently spoke out about his emotions in the aftermath.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesVictor Oladipo says Cavaliers loss left him ’emotionally exhausted’
Tyrese Haliburton is the main man in Indiana now, but right after Paul George’s departure, that was Victor Oladipo. He led the team against the King and Cleveland in 2018.
Despite a great series, Oladipo couldn’t help Indy make it over the hump. They lost in Game 7 in the first round, and he recently spoke about how he felt following the game.
“I cried so hard because, when you say, like, when it’s when it’s over in the playoffs, that’s when you rest and you realize how exhausted you are,” Oladipo said.
“You never tell yourself you’re exhausted until you’re like, OK, it’s over. And I remember being so exhausted emotionally that I just broke down because it was like, there’s no way they weren’t better than us.
“That’s what I truly, truly felt in my heart. And I felt like that in game seven.”
Victor Oladipo was phenomenal during the Pacers-Cavaliers first-round matchup
The Pacers took on the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this season, but the team easily won in five. Oladipo didn’t have the same experience.
The star guard was excellent in that series. Oladipo averaged 22.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 7 games. The Cavaliers had no answer for him.
His Game 6 performance stands out the most; the 2-time All-Star recorded a 28-point triple-double to force a Game 7.
While it’s surprising to hear about NBA stars crying, it’s a natural reaction for any star who was trying to make it out of the Eastern Conference during LeBron’s second stint with the franchise.