CHARLOTTE, N.C.: LeBron James can empathize with Ronda Rousey today. James has been there and says he understands how Rousey is feeling.
Rousey’s UFC comeback fight ended 48 seconds after it started when she was knocked out in the first round Friday night by Amanda Nunes. Rousey has lost her past two fights in stunning fashion after exploding to the top of the sport by dominating her first 12 fights.
“In sports, in general, they build you up as high as they can, put you on the highest mountain in the world, just to tear you down. That’s coming from somebody who has experienced it. And that’s exactly what she’s going through right now,” James told the Beacon Journal on Saturday. “That’s a fact. I know exactly how she feels because I was that athlete. I went through that.”
James did not see Rousey’s fight Friday. He enjoyed a birthday dinner with his teammates and watched some of the undercard, as well as the conclusion of the Michigan-Florida State game.
He likened Rousey’s fall to his move to Miami. James became the league’s No. 1 villain during his first season in Miami, particularly after the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
He eventually reclaimed his place as the king of the NBA, winning three championships in the past five years. Rousey’s future remains unknown.
“You don’t know her mindset. You don’t know the drive, is the drive still there? You don’t know,” James said. “But you can tell that it’s built and built and built and built and built, they always make the teardown story more important than how long it took for her to actually get to the mountaintop.”
Split screen
James joked that if the Cavs were playing a home game Saturday, he would’ve gotten the time changed so it didn’t conflict with Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl game against Clemson.
As it was, the Cavs’ game began right about the time the Buckeyes were kicking off.
“I will be talking to our assistant coaches that sit behind the bench and ask them to keep me updated,” James said. “They’re going to have to keep me updated on the score. That game is very, very important.”
Dribbles
Jordan McRae had sticker shock upon seeing his latest paycheck was about $600 short. The reason? Taxes for the championship ring. “I thought the ring was free,” McRae said, not realizing he still had to pay taxes on it. … Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love on Thursday became the fourth two in Cavs history to register double-doubles while scoring at least 30 points, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The last to do it was Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance in 1991. … The Cavs are the only team in the league with three players averaging at least 22 points. … Hornets guard Marco Belinelli missed the game with a sprained ankle. … The Cavs have now made at least 10 3-pointers in 28 out of 32 games.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com.