LeBron James continues to make his case for GOAT, while single-handily resurrecting the city of Cleveland, once again, in the process
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It started with a letter in Sports Illustrated. LeBron James was leaving the comfort of the Miami Heat that were on the heels of making the NBA Finals four straight seasons (winning two of them). It was not easy, but as closest to that as it gets in the NBA.
He was playing with one of his best friends in Dwyane Wade and an all-star power forward/center in Chris Bosh, including one of the best GMs of all-time in Pat Riley calling the shots. But it was time for LeBron James to head back home.
LeBron “took his talents to South Beach” and he embraced all of Miami. The culture, the lifestyle and it even translated to their style of play on the court. LeBron, Wade and Bosh were the perfect Miami guys. They were “Hollywood as hell,” and they backed it up.
While those four years were probably the best of his career up to that point, as well as the years he learned what it took to win big in the NBA, it was time for LeBron to bring what he had learned — in a way — to Cleveland.
LeBron decided to return to Cleveland willing to work and with the perfect blueprint. He orchestrated the trade for Kevin Love, asked for reinforcements midseason — which returned in the way of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov — and, now, has delivered in the playoffs.
And while many questioned whether he Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, a bunch of outcasts as his supporting cast and a rookie head coach could get the job done, here we are again. It’s nearly June and LeBron James, this time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight season.
That in itself is quite unprecedented.
Per Elias: LeBron will be first player to make 5 straight Finals since...the '60s Celtics. Bill Russell, Satch Sanders, KC Jones, Sam Jones
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) May 27, 2015
Now LeBron James is four wins away from Cleveland’s first professional sports championship since 1964. If he were to deliver that, the four years he spent in Miami — winning the NBA Championships that many fans in Cleveland believe should be theirs — will all be forgotten.
And sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals was the next progressional step of Cleveland’s healing. LeBron’s too.
Also, the next step of LeBron James surpassing Michael Jordan as the NBA’s greatest player of all-time. Yes, he can do it.
In fact, I’ll go all the way to say that he will.
Looking ahead, if LeBron continues on the steep statistical career track that he’s on — which could include finishing his career top-10 in scoring and assists — and wins two or three more NBA Finals and at least one more NBA MVP award, it’s a wrap.
LeBron James would be the greatest of all-time.
Bringing two or more NBA Championships to Cleveland would cement that. He already has a seat at the table and is close to the top of the conversation. Anything he does in Cleveland is now icing on the cake.
As LeBron continues to build his (already) impressive postseason legacy, which now includes making five straight NBA Finals appearances (four with Miami, one with Cleveland), there isn’t any proof of him slowing down. Not one indication.
After bulldozing his way through the Eastern Conference this season, with an injured Kevin Love and a hobbled Kyrie Irving, there wasn’t a team that even came close to beating the Cavs. And, come to think of it, unless Kevin Durant makes his way to the Eastern Conference via free agency in 2016, I’m not sure if there’s any team that will be capable of beating LeBron James in the next 3-4 seasons out East.
It isn’t out of the realm of possibility to believe that LeBron could make eight straight NBA Finals appearances — including another four-year run, this time with Cleveland.
LeBron James is back in Cleveland and back in the spot where he left it — on the cusp of giving the city a championship. He’s older, more seasoned and better prepared.
This season began with a letter for LeBron. He hopes it ends with a parade.
Next: NBA Matchmaker: Theoretical Trades That Should Be Made This Summer