LeBron James may never hold the title “greatest of all time.”
But he can put himself near the top of the list of the greatest basketball players to ever step on the court if he manages to lead Cleveland to its first NBA championship.
Most people discounted the Cavaliers’ chances when Celtics center Kelly Olynyk pulled Cavs power forward Kevin Love’s arm fighting for a rebound, resulting in Love being ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs with a dislocated shoulder.
Just about everyone remaining on the bandwagon completely wrote the Cavaliers off after Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured left kneecap driving to the basket late in the game, adding injury to a 108-100 loss to Golden State.
Cleveland’s “Big Three” had been whittled down to one — LeBron.
While everyone was preemptively crowning the Warriors NBA champions, James and his supporting cast had other ideas.
Cleveland stole the following game on the road in overtime, 95-93. It was James who carried his team to victory with a triple-double (39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists). He played 50 minutes, spending more time on the court than any player on either team.
The Cavs traveled home for Game 3, and once again it was James who shouldered crippling responsibility with apparent ease in a 96-91 victory, giving Cleveland a 2-1 edge in the series.
James turned in another stellar performance, scoring 40 points, snatching 12 rebounds and recording eight assists. His greatest help in Game 3 was from undrafted shooting guard Matthew Dellavedova.
Dellavedova turned in arguably the greatest performance of his young career, scoring 20 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists. He also scrapped for every loose ball until he was so physically exhausted he ended up in the hospital to be treated for dehydration after the game.
Cleveland is now two wins away from ending the city’s 51-year wait for a championship in some sport, any sport.
If the City of Cleveland gets the chance to experience a sporting triumph for the first time since gas was 30 cents a gallon, James will be at the heart of it.
This is the championship that can see James move up the ranks of the game’s greatest. If he leads the Cavs to glory, he will do so with a group of role players, not co-stars.
Even Michael Jordan had help with Hall-of-Famers Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. But James was the only man who started for Cleveland in Game 3 with even an NBA All-Star Game appearance to his name.
It wouldn’t just be an amazing accomplishment to cement James’ legacy. It’s a poetic story with James coming home and potentially winning a title in year one.
Jordan’s legacy is nearly untouchable, but if James gives Cleveland its first storybook ending in half a century, he’ll be closer to “His Airness” than he ever has been before.