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The Cleveland Cavaliers, despite dealing with injuries which would cripple almost every team in the NBA, came up just short in the Finals, losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games. It was an inspiring run for the crippled Cavs, but one which ended in familiar fashion for any sports fans in Northeast Ohio.
As a result of this loss, some are beginning to point fingers at LeBron James, specifically at his record in the Finals. With this latest defeat, James has only won two championships in six appearances. Therefore, clearly his legacy is tarnished, at least according to some people. James couldn’t get it done this time, just like last time, so what else can you say other than the fact this latest Finals loss is too much to ignore.
If anyone honestly believes James’ legacy is tainted by this defeat, that he’s to be judged by the fact he couldn’t get a win in this series, I can’t help you. I can only assume you weren’t watching. The idea that this Finals series, despite the fact it added another loss to James’ record, should in any way paint him in a negative light is beyond laughable.
What did anyone see in this series that would make them feel as though James failed in the clutch? Honestly, I’m dying to know. Because what I saw, and what I figured everyone else did as well, was a player putting forth an undeniably incredible effort and bringing his team much farther than anyone thought they could go.
This was a Cavs team minus Kevin Love,one which only received a Finals game’s worth of Kyrie Irving. The idea Cleveland could get swept against Golden State was not only logical, it was something many around the league expected.
Despite this, the Cavs were within two games of winning a title. They had a Warriors team – one which was vastly superior in many ways – on the ropes. Cleveland won its first two Finals games in franchise history. And, if this wasn’t 100% thanks to the efforts of James, it’s darn close.
What James did during this series was astounding. He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists. He became the first player to lead both teams in scoring, rebounds and assists in a Finals series. He had many people considering whether he should be the Finals MVP despite being on the losing end of the series, which would’ve put him in the company of only Jerry West.
But, James lost, so his legacy took a severe hit, I guess.
How can anyone who saw what James did in this series place doubt on him solely because of his Finals record? What else could he have done for this team? He played an enormous amount of minutes, doing so while playing deep into June for the fifth straight year. He contributed the monstrous stats mentioned above while carrying a team of backups who barely knew how to function when he was off the court.
I’m sorry, I realize it’s odd for some to label James the best player in the world while he boasts a 2-4 record on the game’s biggest stage. I know that, in the grand scheme of things, the amount of titles a player wins is a large measuring stick when it comes to evaluating his legacy.
At the same time, I ask again; what else could James have done here?
Find me another player who could lose his two best teammates and still somehow drag his team to two wins in the Finals. The second Irving went down, people were writing Cleveland’s obituary. Within days, they were talking about James and calling what he was doing in this series as potentially his greatest accomplishment. Because his team ended up losing, all of this is erased? We’re going back to razzing him and pointing fingers at his short-comings?
Say what you will about his overall record, there’s nothing I saw in this series which made me even consider calling James’ legacy into question. He did everything he possibly could, nearly bringing a roster hardly fit for the stage it was on to the promised land, but ultimately came up short. You can’t call what he was doing historic, then change your mind because the team around him wasn’t able to come through.
The Cavs shouldn’t have made it as far as they did. They shouldn’t have been within two wins of a title. But they were, thanks to James. This shouldn’t deflate his legacy. If anything, it should help to cement it.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
