James clearly did not want his contributions to be limited to one or two assists.
He could accept playing a supporting role at certain stages of the game, but an entire series?
Neither personal desire nor commercial pressure would allow him to accept it.
Of course, in the pre-game interviews, he unsurprisingly made a very official promise to the reporters: "I am willing to sacrifice everything for the championship and victory, including my stats. I would rather not score if that could win us the game."
Many superstars would say such things; some are sincere, while others just say it for show.
The NBA is definitely not purely about sports competition. Especially by 2007, its influence had spread globally, with astonishing commercial value. Superstar contracts might easily reach hundreds of millions, involving billions in commercial interests, advertising effects, brand reputation, etc.
