What do LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have in common? The desire and talent to succeed.
And that was evident once again as the three best athletes of this generation showcased their relentless pursuit of greatness. LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a return to the NBA Finals, while Ronaldo dominated the Champions League as he powered Real Madrid to the title for the third straight year.
Meanwhile, despite his recent injury, Neymar has shown the willingness to give it his all for his nation dreaming of World Cup glory this 2018.
For today’s spotlight, SBOBET Blog brings you the latest LeBron, Ronaldo and Neymar news and updates.
LeBron reaches incredible eighth straight NBA Finals
LeBron James is going to the NBA Finals, again.
After trailing the Boston Celtics throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, the King willed the Cleveland Cavaliers in the decisive Game 7 to punch their return ticket to the big event.
James and the Cavs were 3-2 in the series heading into Game 6. However, they forced the decider at home before taking down the Celtics at TD Garden where the Beantown team has not lost a postseason game before the match.
The King recorded a near triple-double performance in the do-or-die match, finishing with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
With the victory, James wrote his name on the history books as only the sixth player to reach eight straight NBA Finals. Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and Frank Ramsey are the other players to accomplish the feat, and all of them were part of the Boston dynasty from the 1950 and ’60s.
The 33-year-old All-Star forward has reached four straight NBA Finals with the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014. When he moved back to Cleveland in the summer of 2014, he sparked the team to East dominance and has now led them to the finale for the fourth straight year.
“I mean, the bigger the stage, the bigger the player, and he’s been doing it for us since we’ve been here,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said of LeBron’s dominance.
“The great quote from the great Doc Rivers is, ‘You always want to go into the Game 7 with the best player,’ and we have the best player on our team going into a Game 7. I like our chances. And he delivered again.”
Dominant Ronaldo cements status as greatest Champions League player
Cristiano Ronaldo may have failed to score in the Champions League final against Liverpool, but there’s no doubt he’s one of the best footballers to ever play in the tournament—he has long established that status.
Ronaldo, who capped the UCL with his fifth title to become the winningest player in the competition, finished the campaign as the top-scorer with 15 goals. He is well ahead of Liverpool trio Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane who had 10 goals each.
Furthermore, his scoring streak allowed him to become the only player to finish as the Champions League’s top scorer in six consecutive seasons. His tally this year is his third-best mark, behind his 17 goals in 2013-14 and 16 in 2015-16.
Earlier in the tournament, the Portuguese talisman also made the record for the most consecutive games scored in with 11, dating back from their title win last year until the quarter-finals against Juventus. Nonetheless, that streak ended after he failed to score in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich.
Additionally, Ronaldo is the first player to score in every group stage match.
However, despite his UCL dominance with Real Madrid, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has cast doubts about his future with Los Blancos, saying after their victory at Kiev: “It was very nice to be at Real Madrid. In the next few days, I will speak. I am going to enjoy this with my team-mates and in the next few days I’ll give an answer.”
Neymar determined to play for Brazil despite fitness concerns
Neymar is ready to give it his all for Brazil.
The Brazilian striker, who has returned to training with the Selecao after being sidelined for more than three months due to injury, acknowledged that he is far from being match-ready. However, he vowed to play for the nation and avoid a repeat of what happened to him in the 2014 version of the event.
In an interview at Rio de Janeiro, Neymar admitted that he will play for Brazil no matter what his condition is.
“I’m still a bit scared of going all out, but there are still several days before our start,” the Paris Saint-Germain star said.
“I feel good physically. My foot is fine. Of course I have to adjust to certain things. I’m feeling a bit of discomfort but it’s not going to stop me from playing.”
Neymar has suffered a metatarsal injury against Marseille last February and has not played since then. He was expected to play in Brazil’s friendly against Croatia this June, but that is now in doubt as well given his condition.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE SPORTS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
