It didn’t take long for LeBron to get a bead on the Hawks in 2015.
The Atlanta Hawks were juggernauts during the 2014-2015 season. Outside of the Golden State Warriors, no team was more dominant than the Hawks, which had four players make it to the All-Star Game that season. However, despite their superior skills and chemistry, one rival wasn’t impressed with Atlanta: LeBron James.
According to wily guard Jeff Teague, the lynchpin of that Hawks team, the “King” approached him during the All-Star break and told him straight to his face that he had figured out the Hawks and their game plan. At that time, the former Wake Forest star was puzzled about what Bron meant, but come playoff time, he soon learned the true meaning of James’ words.
A sensational regular season
The Hawks were like a well-oiled machine that season. Led by All-Stars Paul Millsap, Al Horford, Kyle Korver, and Teague, Atlanta won three out of four games against LeBron’s Cavs and finished the regular season with a 60-22 mark, the best in the East. Come the All-Star break, LBJ, though, believed he already had the Hawks’ number.
“I swear to God, All-Star, he told me—we swept them in the regular season, beat them by 25 every game. He came to me, and he was like, ‘I figured y’all out. I figured y’all out.’ I said, ‘You figured us out?'” Jeff recalled the conversation he had with the iconic superstar.
After defeating the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards in the first two rounds of the 2015 NBA Playoffs, Atlanta faced off against the Cavaliers. They felt good about their chances of making it to the NBA Finals, especially after their regular-season success over their foes.
LeBron picked the Hawks apart
As the two teams squared off, it became apparent that LeBron’s strategy was to pick on Teague and his lack of size and defensive acumen.
“Man, all he did was run one… the 3-1 pick and roll. He’d bring me up there, set it—I’d hedge. Set it again—I’d hedge again. Set it again—eventually, I gotta switch,” Teague narrated.
Once Jeff, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 190 pounds, picked up Bron, the “King” essentially had the Hawks at his mercy. If Atlanta didn’t send any help, James would back him down and score. If they helped too much, he’d find an open teammate for an easy bucket.
“He’d back me down, get to the free throw line, shoot over me. If somebody helped, he’d throw it to J.R. Smith—three. Throw it to Kevin Love—three,” Teague stressed. “I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s over.’ Yeah, it’s over. He figured us out. Ain’t no way I can guard Bron. It’s over.”
The Cavs would lose to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, while the Hawks wouldn’t regain the same level of success they had during their 60-win season.