LeBron James Comments on Northern Iowa's March Madness Loss to Texas A&M

Northern Iowa's collapse in the final 44 seconds against Texas A&M on Sunday is among the most stunning, heartbreaking endings in NCAA tournament history.   

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, who has endured his share of difficult losses as an NBA player, was asked Wednesday what his response would be if he were part of a loss like Northern Iowa's 92-88 double-overtime defeat against Texas A&M.

"I would quit basketball," he said, as relayed by 92.3 The Fan's T.J. Zuppe:

While James may have been joking, it's difficult to see just how a team responds to that kind of defeat. The Panthers were up by 12 points with 44 seconds remaining, essentially having their ticket punched to the Sweet 16 for the second time in school history. 

What followed was so unbelievable that if someone pitched the idea to a Hollywood movie studio, the studio would laugh it off because the amount of time for Texas A&M to score that many points—with Northern Iowa committing four turnovers in the next five possessions—wouldn't make sense. 

Here was FiveThirtyEight's win probability chart from the game (via Sam Brief of WNUR Sports):

According to Neil Paine of FiveThirtyEight, Northern Iowa's win probability peaked at 99.9 percent, and the odds of a Texas A&M comeback were 1-in-3,000. 

Northern Iowa guard Robert Knar discussed his experience in the locker room after the loss, per Tim Froehlig of the Chicago Tribune:

"

When I got to the locker room, I had texts on my phone congratulating me on making the Sweet 16. It was so strange, because so many people just assumed we'd won with such a big lead so late in the game. Sure, people are always going to remember us for being a part of that moment. But the fact we, as a team, were in a position to be one of the final 16 teams in that tournament just shows how much character we had as a group. We're all gonna take that adversity and use it to motivate us to work even harder heading into next season.

"

Knar's last line is likely how most athletes feel following a loss like the one Northern Iowa had Sunday. It's painful and shocking in the moment, but you have to move past it because that's how sports work. 

James' comments likely echo the way most fans would feel if they were part of that kind of contest. There's a feeling from people who sit in the stands that every game is the most important thing at that moment, so going from the thrill of victory to the crushing sadness of defeat makes it hard. 

What makes it worse for Northern Iowa is the fact that this ended up being its final game of the year, but it doesn't have to define the program. The Panthers have made the tournament the last two seasons, winning one game both years.