Is LeBron James Clutch?

News came out today from anonymous players in the NBA that they would rather have Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan take the last shot, leaving LeBron James out to dry. Now I am a Celtics fan, and while I am more than happy to root against LeBron, I think he's a little underrated as a crunch time option.

Think Back to June in game 6 of the NBA finals. It was over. All the LeBron talk was starting, (I was prematurely celebrating), Duncan was finally cementing his top 10 all time(that's right, all time) status, at the expense of my most hated basketball team. Then who shows up in the waning minutes to carry his team back int the game? LeBron James (Ray Allen helped ALOT, but I'll get to that later.) James caught fire, scoring 12 points in the 4th quarter and bringing his team into the game, then Ray Allen's 3, which unfortunately is the greatest shot I've ever seen(traitor) did the rest.

If you saw the highlights, you only think Ray Allen saved him or bailed him out by making that huge three at the end of regulation. You don't see all the plays he made in the 4th, like the near 30 footer to make it a 1 possession game. Most people only remember his brick off the glass that flew into Chris Bosh's lap and was kicked out to Allen for the season-saving three-pointer. The fact of the matter is he scored 12 in the fourth when his team was down and out, and not to mention this was only game 6. The Heat still had to win game 7, and against a tough Spurs team, LeBron put up a 37 points and 12 rebounds with the dagger from the foul line to seal the deal.

Before he won the Finals, I was always the first one to say he folded under pressure. My Celtics were about to end his season in 2012 and Miami's big three was so close to being traded or broken up. And James goes into Boston and puts up 45 and 15. Even against the Thunder in the finals I was convinced Durant would out duel LeBron and he owns the Finals. All throughout 2013 I said LeBron's ring was a fluke and he leads his team to a 27 game win streak and a 2nd straight championship.

What I have finally realized about James is what applied to him before he won championships doesn't matter. I am a huge critic of LeBron. He comes off as a diva and he should win an academy award for some of the flopping he's done these last few years. But I can't say he's not clutch. He's a 2 time champion and 2 time finals MVP. When it comes down to it, he gets the job done.Getting the job done and winning titles isn't clutch, then what is?