LeBron James Escaped A Double Team By Going Behind His Back And Accidentally Nutmegging Tristan Thompson

LeBron James has made the improbable seem ordinary so many times in his career that it’s hard to keep count, but he added to his impressive highlight reel against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

It wasn’t as devastating as James Harden’s killer crossover on Wednesday, but James did score on a stupendous play in the first quarter in Cleveland.

James split a double team and beat a second pair of defenders at the rim on a play that you will absolutely need to see more than once.

This actually gets more insane the more you look at it. Not only does James split the defense by going behind his back, he somehow puts the ball through Tristan Thompson’s legs as he was trying to set a screen for James.

Take another look. Take thirteen more looks, if you need them. They’ll all be worth your time.

He nutmegged his own teammate to escape the Sixers defenders, then managed to keep possession and beat two more Philly players at the rim to lay it in with his left hand. The dude’s just insane.

There’s no way he did that on purpose, right? James can’t possibly know Thompson would turn and set his feet like that, leaving just enough of a window for him to put a basketball through his legs. That’s just not how reality works, but James has a way of making something you never thought you’d see become reality.

Maybe James did it intentionally. Maybe he knows more about basketball and physics than any of us ever will. But it’s so hard to imagine that’s how someone’s brain works in real time.