Advertisement

LeBron James, struggling from the line, practices free throws overnight (Video)

This isn’t an attempt to rank one sport over another, but one of the great things about basketball is the way you can just about practice and especially play the game anyplace, anywhere. For a sport that was created to act as an indoor, winter diversion, you’re always likely within walking distance of a hoop and a chance to put some up. You don’t need your own personal, well-lit court when just a ball and a willingness to hoof it for a two or 20-minute walk will do.

[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]

Of course, as LeBron James taught us last night, your own personal, well-lit court always helps.

That’s James working on free throws overnight. To have someone document it and post it on social media is rather Kobe-esque, but it’s still a reminder that your own driveway (or personal, well-lit court, or a corporate-sponsored basketball stadium in Miami) is always an accessible and acceptable place to work on your own game. You don’t need someone to pitch you the ball from 60 feet away, or line up 11 to a side, or a giant swath of ice

We know why he documented it, though. LeBron’s game is rather lacking, at the moment.

[Yahoo Fantasy Basketball: Sign up for a league today]

The sleeves are just a tiny part of it. He’s made just 15 of 27 free throws (55.6 percent) this season, and missed 16 of his 18 three-point attempts. A five-game sample size isn’t worth paying much attention to unless one’s in-game habits have changed, and James doesn’t appear to have taken leave of his senses on court, but 55 percent for a career 74 percent free throw shooter is still worth tending to.

It’s probably some needed therapy, as James was on national TV on Wednesday acting like a bit of a prat after Carmelo Anthony scored on him:

A day later, this report from Jason Lloyd at the Akron Beacon-Journal came out, discussing James and Kevin Love’s initial relationship as teammates:

Yet from almost the moment Love arrived, the relationship seemed to sour. James went to great lengths to get him here, and now team officials concede James didn’t treat him very well once he arrived.

In truth, James was frustrated in part because Love showed up out of shape. He didn’t work out much at all the summer he was traded here and he wasn’t the player James was expecting. His legs bothered him all season. His back was hurting. All of the parts were connected and none of them were firing properly.

James loves talent and he loves playing alongside elite players. Love’s physical condition prevented him from being the player James thought he was getting. As a result, James gravitated toward Kyrie Irving and Love never fit well into this system.

The disconnect showed throughout most of the first half of 2014-15, and the James/Love/Irving triptych has another 77 games to get it together as they try one more championship run. Cavaliers coach David Blatt, as always, has quite the task on his hand in spite of the riches he’s been gifted with.

The Midwest enjoyed a relative-to-November warmwave this week. Here’s hoping that its residents also took advantage of the chance to get a few more 15-footers up during that unexpected invitation to go shoot around.

- - - - - - -

Kelly Dwyer

is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!