LeBron Keeps Promise, Brings NBA Championship to Cleveland

Two years ago, LeBron James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years in Miami, he vowed to bring an NBA Championship to Cleveland. They came close in his first season, losing in the NBA Finals in six games to the Golden State Warriors. James averaged 35.8 points per game and 13.3 rebounds per game in the 2015 Finals, but with Kevin Love missing the entire series due to injury and Kyrie Irving only able to play in one game, the Warriors were too much to overcome.

Despite having Love and Irving back for the 2016 Finals (Love did miss Game 3), the Cavaliers fell behind the Warriors 3 games to 1. To make matters worse, no team in the history of the NBA Finals had ever come back from 3-1 deficit to win the championship. But James was intensely focused, and the rest of the team fed off of that. The Cavaliers had lost the first two games on the road, but won Game 5 in Oakland 112-97. Then they won Game 6 at home 115-101, behind a 41 point performance by James, tying the series at 3 apiece and setting up a decisive Game 7 in Oakland. The Warriors appeared to be coming apart while the Cavaliers were at their best.

Game 7 was a back and forth, multiple lead changes game, the type that all Game 7s should be. Draymond Green had a huge game for Golden State, scoring 32 points, including hitting 6 of 8 three point shots, and grabbing 15 rebounds. But Stephen Curry was held to 17 points, and Klay Thompson had 14. James had a triple double for Cleveland, with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and Kyrie Irving, who had an excellent post season, scored 26 as the Cavaliers stunned the Warriors 93-89 to win the NBA title.

Afterwords, James collapsed to the floor, overcome by emotion and probably, exhaustion after a terrific performance. He was named the Most Valuable Player for the finals. The Warriors are left to ponder how they could win a record 73 games during the regular season, be up 3-1 in the finals, and then lose.