James finished with 26 points, 13 assists
and 11 rebounds in Game 5 of the title series Thursday night, leading the Miami
Heat to a 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.Miami won the second
title in franchise history, and James won for the first time in three finals
appearances.
James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were
swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007, then he and the Heat fell in six games
to the Dallas Mavericks last season.Asked Thursday what the title meant, James
said, ''It means everything.''
These used to be the moments that
suffocated LeBron James. End of a game, the world watching, everyone expecting
greatness. A TV camera would catch James sitting on the bench, gnawing on his
fingernails during a timeout. He'd take the court, and the ball – and the game –
would find their way into his large hands. Too often, he'd give them both to a
teammate. The pressure, the responsibility to live up to his enormous talent,
was too much for him to shoulder.
No longer is James haunted by his demons.
He embraces these moments now, and as the final seconds ticked off the clock
late Thursday, James was finally free of the burden he had carried for so long.
Finally, the world could call him a champion.
James had walked off the court a few
minutes earlier, the Miami Heat's 121-106 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder
long since secure. He dominated these NBA Finals, and he saved his best for last
with a 26-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound triple-double performance. James hugged
his teammates and coaches, screamed and waved his arms. No more doubts. He owned
his elusive title.
"It's about damn time," James said after
accepting the Finals MVP trophy from Bill Russell. "It's about damn
time."
He had come into this with people
questioning whether Kevin Durant had surpassed him as the game's greatest
player, with the Heat cast in the unfamiliar role of underdogs. Oklahoma City's
victory in Game 1 fanned those sentiments. It turned out to be the only jolt the
Heat needed.
James took hold of this series in Game 2
and he never let go. He was the league's best player this season, and he was the
greatest player on the floor in these Finals. The Thunder never had an answer
for him. Not Durant, not anyone. From the moment James threw down a thunderous
dunk to open Thursday night, the message was clear:
No more waiting. This night, this season,
belonged to him.
"My dream has become a reality now,"
James said, "and it's the best feeling I ever had."
Neither was playing at the level they are
now when James invited Durant to work out with him during the NBA lockout in his
hometown of Akron, Ohio. Now as James tries to win his first ring, fittingly,
it's Durant in his way.
''It's only right. It's only right,''
James said. ''We look forward to the challenge. It's going to be a big test for
us.''
James played at a rarely seen level in
the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. According to STATS
LLC, James became the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000 finals to
have six 30-point games in a playoff series. In the one contest where James
didn't score 30, he finished with 29 in Game 4, fouling out in
overtime.
His series averages against the Celtics:
33.6 points and 11 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting. He had five games
with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the entire regular season - then did
it five times in the series against Boston alone.
''He was absolutely brilliant this
series, and we all know it,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He's playing at
an historic level during the playoffs, driving us with his will. We do not take
his talent or his will or his competitiveness for granted. And we need every
single bit of it. He is pushing himself beyond his limits, and he's pushing the
rest of the team as well.''
Said Heat guard Dwyane Wade: ''He's
amazing.''
There were many moments for the Heat to
celebrate on Saturday night, when they punched their ticket back to the NBA
finals by ousting Boston 101-88 in Game 7.
Heat owner Micky Arison couldn't have
gotten his hands off the East trophy fast enough, since that isn't the one he
wants anyway. James felt the same way. The Heat star left the floor in a cap and
T-shirt, one arm raised in joy.
