Impact of LeBron's Shot Is Yet To Be Determined

CLEVELAND - Everyone on the planet knows that pro basketball star LeBron James is immensely talented.

Last night, that talent took a back seat to his sheer force of will.

James, the league's recently crowned Most Valuable Player faked a cut to the basket before breaking free from the defense of Hedo Turkoglu to catch the most critical inbounds pass of his career. This all took place with only a single second on the game clock and the Orlando Magic holding a seemingly etched-in-stone 95-93 lead. Once James stepped behind the top of the three-point arc to catch the pass, he squared his body, jumped and hit a dramatic, fadeaway 3-pointer at the buzzer.

James reacted with stunned excitement as did his delirious teammates, who stormed onto the court and mobbed the basketball hero. Everyone else inside Quicken Loans Arena exploded with unbridled jubilation as the suddenly mortal-looking Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with a 96-95 victory and a 1-1 series tie against the Magic.

Game 3 is tomorrow night in Orlando.

Though the shot earned instant legendary status both for its degree of difficulty and the circumstances surrounding both teams, it should be noted that the Cavs displayed major flaws for the second straight game. They held a 23-point lead in the first half over Orlando, only to watch it evaporate gradually the rest of the game. Turkoglu, who scored at will against the limp defense of Sasha Pavlovic hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 48.7 seconds left as a precursor to the pull-up jumper he nailed with one second left in the game to seemingly win it for the Magic.

For whatever reason, the Cavs defense was mediocre and their offense was often inept.

Orlando superstar center Dwight Howard (10 points, 18 rebounds) was hampered by foul trouble all game and never got on track offensively. Rashard Lewis however, proved to be a major threat, nailing four pivotal 3-pointers and scoring 23 points to supplement Turkoglu's 21.

LeBron finished with a giant 35 points and according to him, "the biggest shot of [his] career." The incredible play is indisputably his best ever moment on a basketball court. I believe that it even eclipses his virtuoso performance in Game 5 of the 2007 East Finals in Detroit, when he scored 29 of the Cavs final 30 on an array of stunning shots to earn the unlikely road win.

With endless praise by teammates, fans and the media, the shot has been widely discussed and fawned over. Where it ranks in NBA history or even Cavs history is still an open case. Consider this: if the Cavs lose this series to Orlando, then the shot suddenly suffers a reduction in impact and magnitude. If they beat the Magic and advance to the NBA Finals, it becomes the biggest reason why. If the Cavs win the NBA championship, then James' legacy expands greatly and the shot would have to be placed very high on the list of epic moments in NBA annals.

LeBron's brilliance has long been a given, but it was his resolute drive, staggering confidence and ultra intensity that made this monumental shot a reality. It has the potential to have a greater impact than anything Kobe Bryant ever did in the postseason and rivals all but a couple of Michael Jordan's most transcendent hoops moments.

At the end of the day, LeBron is a special sports icon that is still amazingly a couple years from entering his prime. His historic basket saved the season from being a bust after their 74-16 record (66-16 in the regular season, 8-0 in the postseason) entering this Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

We'll always remember this LeBron James masterpiece. But how the Cavs' season ends will determine just how indelible it will be in the history books.

We'll soon find out.