SAN ANTONIO — So, Friday was like any other day for LeBron James.
Any other day on which he received IV treatment, got virtually no sleep, took a pounding on social media that only a Stalin deserves, was questioned about the products he endorses. And, oh yeah, had to come to grips with his Heat being down, 1-0, to the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Just another day.
“I’m pretty sore right now just from the muscles spasming up and they’re starting to release, but I’m pretty sore in my legs,” said James, who sat nearly seven fourth-quarter minutes — seven critical minutes when the game turned against the Heat — after cramping in the steam bath that was AT&T Center on Thursday in Game 1 after the air conditioning malfunctioned.
You’ll be happy to know the folks who run the arena said the “AC system has been tested, is fully operational” and will be monitored. And they apologized for the inconvenience.
Following the game, in which James tried to return and was overruled by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the best player in the world received 2 ½ bags of IV fluids. Try sleeping after that. James’ routine became “using the restroom a lot” between 2-11 a.m. Friday.
“Some extreme conditions. I’ve never played an NBA game like it was [Thursday] as far as the heat,” James said.
For Sunday’s Game 2, James will prepare as always with even more concentration on hydration.
“I’ve been tested and all the results came back positive, they said just keep doing what you been doing, continue to hydrate,” James said.
But he could have swallowed Lake Michigan and it would not have helped Thursday. James felt uncomfortable in warm-ups and cut his pre-game routine short. At halftime, he changed uniforms. He asked out early in the third quarter. He wanted to die in the fourth. After he made a layup with 4:09 left, he eventually limped off the court, didn’t return and the Heat were outscored 16-3 from there.
“My body just shut down. Basically my body said, ‘OK, enough jumping for you for the night. You’ve had enough,’ ” James said. “I was angry, I was disappointed in myself. I did everything that I needed to do to prepare for this game.”
Then came the criticisms. A Gatorade rep tweeted that firm’s clients don’t cramp — James endorses another drink, Powerade. His toughness was questioned all over social media.
“What everybody has to say, you guys should know me by now, I don’t care, I really don’t,” James said, refusing to name the competition drink to avoid giving publicity.
But others cared, including the Spurs, and defended James. Tim Duncan said he knows how James felt.
“Game 7 against Dallas … I was cramping up the fourth and overtime,” Duncan, a 21-point, 10-rebound performer said. “Ever since then I’ve just stayed more hydrated than usually, just tried to attack it.
“There is no shaking it off. Your body is shutting down and you’re unable to move. Whatever is cramping, you’re unable to get away from that. It’s easy to say to shake it off but once it’s gotten to that point it’s hard to reverse.”
Yeah, it’s not like you rub some dirt on it and you’re good to go.
“Anywhere in your legs, there is no way you can run up and down, every time you run or jump, it locks right back up,” Miami’s Rashard Lewis said.
This was the second time James suffered cramps in a Finals game. It happened two years ago during the Oklahoma City series. Since then, the Heat staff and medical personnel have virtually earned doctorates in the field.
“[Thursday] night was such an extreme situation and you have to be able to differentiate the two,” Spoelstra said. “Game 4 in Oklahoma City, that everybody knows about. Since then our staff and LeBron’s diligence has really taken care of that matter, in terms of his preparation before games, what he’s doing during games in terms of always filling himself up with electrolytes, fluids, cramping pills when necessary. All of those things, we have been much more on top of it.”