JAMES DELIVERS NBA TITLE
Cleveland’s long drought is over
OAKLAND Against all odds, Cleveland Cavaliers’ 52 years of sporting futility is over.
Fans in Ohio no longer have to hearken back decades to Jim Brown and Bob Feller. LeBron James has done what he said he would do — delivered a title, in breathtaking fashion.
James lifted the Cavs on his back with one of the greatest championship series in NBA history, concluding with a triple-double in Sunday’s 93-89 thriller.
“Northeast Ohio, the curse is over,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in the stunning aftermath, as Oracle Arena’s dejected inhabitants booed him as if he were Gary Bettman.
“I’m home, this is what I came back for. I’m at a loss for words, this is unbelievable,” James said moments later. The NBA saved its best for last. A somewhat dull NBA Finals that was filled with blowouts concluded in epic fashion, with the game tied entering the final minute of the season, and after more fourthquarter lead changes than in the previous six games combined, madness ensued.
Kyrie Irving missed a shot, but James turned away a layup attempt at the other end with a two-handed pin that was one of the best blocks ever, given its timeliness.
Steph Curry finished with a bad miss, Irving then drained a tough three and James was fouled following another Curry miss while attempting a huge dunk. James hurt his left arm on the play, but hit one of his free throws to give the Cavs a needed four-point cushion.
Another Curry miss capped a dreadful series for the two-time reigning league MVP, who was clearly usurped by James, the NBA’s top performer for the bulk of his career.
When James returned to Cleveland in 2014, he said “our city hasn’t had that feeling in a long, long, long time ... What’s most important for me is bringing one trophy back to Northeast Ohio.”
James said in a letter in Sports Illustrated that he knew how hard it would be to deliver and that it would be a “long process,” but, mission accomplished.
It took 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and more Irving brilliance, especially that final shot.
“In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have,” James wrote in SI.
Well, the Cavs certainly earned this. The team fought back from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits against the alltime regular-season wins leaders and took a seventh game at the toughest place to win a game in the entire NBA.
The Cavs turfed a coach (David Blatt), waited on Irving to return from injury earlier in the season, fought off chemistry concerns and survived Kevin Love’s many noshows (Love showed for this one).
Tristan Thompson joined good friend Cory Joseph (and precious few other Canadians) as an NBA champion.
“Best feeling in the world,” Thompson said right after James won his third Finals MVP award.
“He’s a bad, bad man, Doris,” Thompson told ABC’s Doris Burke.
James set the tone from the start of his return and simply kept going, kept propelling his squad until the work was done.
“It started last year after Labour Day. LeBron sent a text to everyone, ‘Let’s get in early and start training. Let’s get ready for the season,’” Thompson explained earlier in the series.
“And we walk in and he’s in a fulldrenched sweat an hour before the meeting time. So for a young player and for me and Kyrie, the first couple years, not being the best and being some tough years, seeing, in my eyes, one of the best players ever in a full drench of sweat working out, it gives you motivation as a young player. It shows that if he’s in the gym working his tail off and you guys know how good he is, I have no excuse. I have no excuse not to be in the gym, getting extra work, getting extra shots, free throws, whatever it may be. And just the way he plays it elevates everyone’s game.”
Irving, like James a former No. 1 pick, finally lived up to his billing in helping to win a ring for the King, James’ third in seven Finals appearances, cementing his legacy at the end of a sixth-straight Finals appearance.
Golden State’s record 73 wins went all for naught, along with its stirring comeback from down 3-1 to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final.