LeBron James: Heat Star's Comments About Lakers Prove He Lacks Killer Instinct

LeBron James has been where the Los Angeles Lakers are, and very recently.

In the Heat's Game 2 loss to the Pacers on Tuesday night, James deferred to his teammate on the most crucial shot of the game. He chose not to take what could've been the game-winner and passed to Wade, who missed a layup that could've completely changed the complexion of the conference semifinals entire series.

The next night, with three seconds left in the Thunder's eventual 77-75 win in Game 2 over the Lakers, LA was down by one. The team had designed a play for Metta World Peace to dish to Kobe Bryant. Instead, when they got out onto the court, World Peace passed to Steve Blake.

He was wide-open, but missed the three-pointer heard 'round the world.

Cue angry glares from Kobe, and never-ending speculation about what World Peace should've done.

However, one guy who was ready to defend World Peace's decision was James. In defending World Peace, he also inherently defended the decision he made to dish to Wade instead of taking it to the hoop himself on Tuesday.

James told the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman: 

"

[I]f Steve Blake makes that shot, then it's a whole different storyline. You guys know how it works. I think it was a great play. Ron Artest made the perfect play, and [Blake] just missed it. You make that shot, you miss it, the storyline gets changed. 

"

James may be the MVP of the league, but for some reason, he didn't want the potentially game-winning shot against the Pacers on Tuesday. What does that say about him? Possibly that he was trying to be a good teammate, but that's a bit of a cop-out. Did Wade want the shot? Probably. Should James have also wanted the shot? Definitely.

After the game, Wade told the Sun Sentinel: 

"

As a player, you have to come out and do what you feel is right. You're going to make mistakes, that's a part of life. If you could get some possessions back, we all would. That's not life. It's easy to watch it on instant replay and say what you would've done. 

"

Wade's right. It's hard to think hard about what play is the best play when there's no time left and you're desperate to win. There's not much time to think, only time to do.

However, Wade's instinct is to take the shot himself. That doesn't make him selfish, it makes him the kind of player who always believes he gives his team the best shot of winning. It's why he's a champion.

That's the difference between Wade and James.

James would rather back off when the game is on the line because he thinks someone else gives his team the best shot of winning. Not him, the three-time MVP.

Doesn't the phrase "most valuable player" mean the player who is most able to get the job done with the game on the line? 

Most of the time, that last shot doesn't fall, no matter who you are. Those are the odds. When it does, you're heralded as a hero; when it doesn't, you're a pariah.

Wade is the kind of player who doesn't care about whether or not he's a hero in the end. He just wants to take that game-winning shot because no matter what, he always thinks he'll make it. Even when he misses it, he still wants the ball the next time around. That is precisely what makes him great. 

Kobe is that kind of player, too. He always wants the final shot, not because he wants the glory, but because he trusts himself more than anyone when the game is on the line. He always thinks he is the best bet.

James isn't that kind of player. It showed long before he publicly aligned himself with Team World Peace.