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Shane Battier on LeBron's 45-point performance against the Celtics in Game 6 of 2012 ECF: "It was the greatest game I saw anybody play"
Shane Battier on LeBron's 45-point performance against the Celtics in Game 6 of 2012 ECF: "It was the greatest game I saw anybody play" originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In 2011, LeBron James' championship hopes in a Miami Heat uniform fell flat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. A year later, he stood on the edge of the same cliff, this time against the Boston Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. But instead of crashing out, he flipped the narrative and slammed the door on Boston's Big Three era.
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The defining moment of that series came in Game 6, with the Heat teetering on the edge of elimination. The 2003 first-overall pick erupted with surgical fury, delivering a performance so commanding that Shane Battier swore it was the greatest thing his eyes had ever witnessed.
"I mean, it was the greatest game I saw anybody play," Battier said of James' 45-point, 15-rebound performance on "Pablo Torre Finds Out." "Given the stakes, given the gravity of the situation, given the historical implications. Historical!"
Man on a mission
"Batman" wasn't the only guy who thought James's performance was the most brilliant ever on a basketball court. Heat veteran Udonis Haslem also felt the same way as he saw a pissed-off Bron pick the C's apart with terrifying precision. As Torre mentioned, "The Chosen One" dropped five dimes on top of 45 and 15 on a 19-for-26 clip!
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Truth be told, James did not rise to the occasion when it mattered the most in the 2011 Finals. He never led in scoring in any game of the series while attempting only 10 shots in total in the fourth quarter of Games 4 to 6. As a result, he earned a reputation as somebody who couldn't finish the job and someone who lacked the killer instinct.
The 2012 East Finals were starting to look like another heartbreak for LeBron. In Game 5, the image of Paul Pierce drilling a three on his face to give Boston a narrow win deepened the narrative. LBJ had 30 points and 13 rebounds, but he failed to score a single basket in the final 8:12 of the game.
When Game 6 rolled around and the Heat facing elimination, the four-time NBA MVP decided to take matters into his own hands. After a 12-12 deadlock in the first quarter, Miami steamrolled Boston, leading by as much as 22, and settled for a 19-point win, 98-79.
Game 7 was much closer, but "The Chosen One" made sure he saved the best for last. He dropped 11 of his 31 in the fourth period, including a three-pointer that stretched the lead to seven, a lead Miami never relinquished en route to a 101-88 victory.
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Related: "God, if you let me get through this, I won't play no more" - Larry Bird describes the moment that made him retire for good
Shane weighs in on the GOAT debate
For Torre, "The Akron Hammer's" "seize the throne" moment in the 2012 ECF was his first real step towards all-time greatness. Battier agreed, all the more so that James won the first of his four championships later that year. As per usual, the Duke product had jokes to go along with it.
"I'm always going with LeBron (in the GOAT debate) for a simple reason," Battier declared. "LeBron did something twice that Jordan, I don't think, could have done once. He won two NBA titles with Shane Battier as a starting power forward. No way Jordan could have done that. As great as Jordan was, LeBron dragged me across the finish line."
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Battier's GOAT argument may be tongue-in-cheek and self-deprecating, but there's a kernel of truth to it. Game 6 was LeBron taking control of the narrative and showing he could carry legacy-level weight when it mattered most. Honestly, he could've played alongside an 80-year-old Bob Cousy that night and still come out on top.
Related: Shaquille O'Neal reveals which two dunks in his NBA career are his favorite: "He was all over me, and I was like, 'Get the fu** off me'"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
