LeBron James still has vivid memories of Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals, when his former team Miami Heat suffered one of the worst meltdowns in a championship game to the Dallas Mavericks.

On the verge of going up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series with a 15-point fourth-quarter lead, the Heat fizzled out in the closing minutes as the Mavericks stole Game 2 with an inspired 22-5 finishing kick.

As it turned out, that win set up the Mavericks’ fairytale NBA title run, with James and the Heat missing out on what could have been a 3-0 series lead, considering they won Game 3.

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“That sh*t burns to this day,” said James, back in the finals for the ninth time over the last 10 seasons and the first time with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The best teacher in life is experience and I’ve experienced moments in my career, finals games, where you had all the momentum in the world and you felt like you had the game under control.”

“But one play here and one play there can change the course of the series or change the course of the game.”

That is probably the reason why James played the entire final period for the Lakers even if they enjoyed a massive double-digit lead against the Heat in Game 1 of their NBA Finals duel.

Superstars usually head to the bench during blowout wins, but James chose to stay on the floor as he brought the Lakers home amid a late Heat rally en route to a 116-98 win.

With the Lakers’ 26-point fourth-quarter lead cut into half with still two minutes to play, James crushed any hopes of a Heat comeback as he restored order with back-to-back buckets.

“I always talk about the best teacher in life is experience, I’ve experienced a lot, that is what prompts me to be who I am today,” James said.

The four-time NBA MVP finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, falling just a dime short of his 28th postseason triple-double in his first finals appearance since 2018 after failing to make the playoffs last year.

“I’ve been preparing for this moment for quite a while. Fans or no fans, the inner challenge for myself, it feels amazing to be playing in the finals once again.” – Rappler.com