Is LeBron James clutch? His two NBA titles, back-to-back Finals MVP awards and four league MVP awards would suggest that he is, but "King" James didn't display that hardened mettle late in an exhibition against Gilas Philipinas.
James came off the bench for a team full of Filipino college players that were being coached by the world's best basketball player. According to reports, he wowed the crowd by draining several long-distance 3-pointers, slamming down an alley-oop and dishing some NBA-quality assists.
Down the stretch, though, LeBron missed a game-tying layup in the final seconds as his college players lost 29-27. Following the game, James apologized for his miss, saying "The reason I missed those last two shots is because my jersey is too damn small, so forgive me."
The trip to the Philippines was the MVP's first trip to the basketball-crazy nation. He went there on the advice of Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra. "My head coach Eric Spoelstra told me all about it. It's just a great culture that is very passionate about what they love and what they believe in."
In other news, it appears as if USA Basketball is turning to Kevin Durant as the face of American hoops. Reports are saying that LeBron is not competing in the 2014 World Championships in Spain, and is unlikely to participate in the 2016 Olympics.
A source close to the King told Yahoo! Sports, LeBron is going to be three years older during the next Olympics. He will have two older boys. He has a lot to endure with his family. He played in three Olympics. Everyone that knows LeBron knows it's always based on a decision at that moment. But if the moment was today, the answer would be no."
Should LeBron quit competing nationally, it would be a tremendous loss to American basketball. Last season for the Heat, James averaged 26.8 points, eight rebounds and 7.8 assists a night.
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