Finally For Lebron

So the curtain has closed on another record breaking NBA season; Golden State eclipsed the ’96 Chicago Bulls 72-win season; Steph Curry was the first unanimous league MVP and last but by no means least the Cleveland Cavaliers have won their first NBA championship.

Lebron James and his Cavs clinched the city’s 1^st major championship in any sport since the Cleveland Brown’s super bowl win in 1964, in a dramatic game 7 in Oakland last night. The eventual 93-89 win saw the Cavs overcome a 3-1 series deficit, winning 3 games on the bounce against a Warriors team that hadn’t previously lost a game back to back until the conference finals series against the Thunder, one in which they also came from 3-1 down.

In triumph Lebron James scooped his 3^rd Finals MVP trophy after carrying his team for long stretches throughout the series. It was clearly an emotional conclusion for the Ohio native Lebron who since his return to his home town has seemed preordained to never clinch a title with The Cavs.

After the finally buzzer sounded Lebron collapsed to his knees clearly overcome with a mixture of emotions. In his post-game interview with Doris Burke he stated “I set out a goal 2 years ago when I came back to bring a championship to this city.” He then added “I poured my heart, my blood, my sweat, my tears into this game.” Clearly something else was written in the stars for him and his team, as this is the first time a team has comeback from 3-1 down in an NBA finals.

Despite the fact the dust has barely had time to settle on what was a momentous occasion and one that will live long in the memory of even neutral fans of the game; many questions are already being asked.

The first and most glaringly obvious one was the dubious officiating in some of the Games, in particular the decision to suspend Draymond Green for game 5. Many have accused the NBA of making the officiating slightly biased in order to prolong the series and make it appear to be more competitive, in turn increasing interest in the series. Had this been a blow-out 4-1 victory for the Warriors it would have been bad for the NBA brand from a business perspective. The eventual outcome of the finals makes the NBA product far more appealing to TV broadcasters looking to potentially invest. Make of this scenario what you will but TV money has and will continue to influence the NBA moving forward. The new increased cap room next season is a direct consequence of this.

Looking ahead a little further The Cavs win will obviously see teams fully trying to exploit Cap Space to make the league even more competitive. The general consensus is that the Western Conference is a more competitive place to ply your trade. This is further exacerbated by Lebron James’ team appearing in 6 consecutive NBA finals representing the East. Franchise players will become free agents and dollars will be flying around like never before. Kevin Durant and Lebron James being the two prised assets available, but with last night’s championship Lebron would be foolish to turn his back on Cleveland again.

This leads on to the biggest questions in the fallout of the NBA finals. What does this mean for Lebron’s Legacy? He has now seemingly climbed to the top of the mountain and secured the one thing that has evaded him for so long. He would probably describe last night as the defining moment in his career when he has time to look back. In contrast leading up to these finals Lebron’s NBA finals record stood and won 2 lost 4!! In a world where Michael Jordan won all 6 of his NBA final appearances, it puts a weird complexion on Lebron’s legacy. In contrast, after winning a 3^rd title and spearheading such a victory over a dominant foe makes things look a tad healthier for Lebron.

Looking at the numbers; Back to back 40 point games in 5 and 6, then a triple double in game 7, very impressive by anyone’s standards. Lebron might not be known for his clutch gene, but this time he did more anybody would have predicted. He also showed the leadership qualities that a young point guard Kyrie Irving has probably been missing thus far in his NBA career, and has probably stopped him from being an elite player on a more consistent basis.

Looking at the overall big picture credit is due in a number of places. Coming into this season everybody expected Golden State to go all the way, if not them, The Spurs or someone from a bunch of teams out west.

In regards to The Cavs chemistry seemed to be an issue with relationship of the Big 3 was shaping up didn’t bode well. An inexperienced NBA level coach in David Blatt probably wasn’t equipped to deal with some of the personalities in the dressing room, so it was no surprise when owner Dan Gilbert decided to make a change and bring somebody with fresh ideas.

The choice of Tyronn Lue however was an interesting one to say the least, also a relative novice at this level Tyronn Lue quickly set out to establish who was running the show. He adapted well to NBA coaching and made the entire roster more comfortable with their role, which involved a lot more touches for the likes of Kevin Love who at times struggled to gain the trust of Lebron. King James himself at times had to recognise that in Kyrie Irving they have a genuine game closer, and often adopted a secondary option on offence allowing Kyrie fully facilitate and flourish down the stretch.

The Cavs showed a steel and determination that given the severity of the situation was clearly necessary to go and win it all, inspired? Maybe, or did The Warriors choke? Would this have been the outcome if Kevin Love and Kyrie fit last year who knows? It will however been interesting to see which of these two teams can go on to become a dynasty, and in the process how far Lebron James can further climb on the list of NBA greats.

For those that didn't tune in last night here are the highlights