LeBron James: Numbers Prove Heat Star LeBron More Clutch Than You Think

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LeBron James of the Miami Heat One of the Most Clutch Players of His Generation

The intense scrutiny of end-of-game situations has hampered LeBron James for years. He has garnered a reputation for not being able to close out games due to either poor shot selection or just plan missed shots.

But according to ESPN Stats Inc, LeBron is actually one of the most clutch players in recent postseason history:

Since the 1997 playoffs, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Bryant are 1-2-3 in points per 48 minutes in the playoffs among players with at least 100 minutes played during clutch-time. However, other aspects of the game show James separating himself from both Jordan and Kobe.
James also shoots the highest percentage from the field among the top 8. Interestingly three of the four active players on this list are playing in this year's Finals.

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He was a stone-cold assassin against the Chicago Bulls, hitting tons of key shots down the stretch. The regular season may not be the same story, but when it matters most James comes up big for his team.

People remember the Boston series last year and the '07 Finals sweep, but they forget about the "48 special" against Detroit where he scored 29 of the Cavs' final 30 points and the buzzer-beater three against the Magic in the '09 Eastern Conference Finals

It's more evidence that America wants to hate James in anyway they can—even if stats tell a different story.

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