The King is Finally Crowned

It took 9 seasons, 3 MVPs and more criticism than any other athlete in the last twenty years, but the most polarizing figure in sports, LeBron James is now an NBA Champion. LeBron led the Heat through the postseason, sometimes single handedly keeping the team alive.

Once Chris Bosh went down with injury, LeBron James more than made up for it. Facing the possibility of being down 3-1, James had an all-time great playoff performance, recording 40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists against Indiana.

LeBron then went out and dispelled the notion that he was not clutch. Facing elimination in the Conference Finals, James scored 45 points on 19-26 shooting, along with 15 rebounds and 5 assists. Miami went on the beat the Celtics en route to the NBA Finals, and the rest, is history.

LeBron James did not have an all-time great performance in the NBA Finals, as he did in the Conference Semis and Conference Finals. However, LeBron ended the debate about whether he was the league's best player, besting Kevin Durant, the NBA MVP runner-up.

In Game 4, LeBron nearly came up with a triple-double with 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. James overcame leg cramps late in the game and nailed critical three pointer to break a 94-94 tie. LeBron sat out the final minute of the game, but did just enough to outduel Russell Westbrook and his 43 points to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

Dwyane Wade was also crucial in Miami reaching the Finals, despite dealing with a lagging injury for the majority of the playoffs. Facing a 1-0 deficit D-Wade began to look like his old self, driving to the rim and hitting jumpers, giving Miami another threat along with James.

And finally, we can't talk about the Heat, without talking about every member of the Big 3. Chris Bosh missed a lot of time this postseason, missing the majority of the Pacers and the Celtics series. But once Bosh got back to full strength and was put back in the starting lineup, he became a factor. Chris Bosh consistently put up double-doubles in every Finals game, accumulating a ton of offensive rebounds.

The Heat closed out OKC in Game 5 with a blowout, but the best player in Game 5 was not James, not Wade, not even Bosh. The best player in Game 5 was Mike Miller. Miller, who had suffered through various injuries all season, came off the bench and drained three balls like he was Reggie Miller. Miller scored 23 points on 7-10 shooting, all 7 makes coming from beyond the three point line where he was 7-8.

LeBron James won his first title in impressive fashion. Recording a triple-double in the series clinching Game 5 en route to his first Finals MVP. No, not NBA MVP. No, not All-Star MVP. The Finals MVP, LeBron James finally got it.

There are so many things you can talk about when the Miami Heat come into the conversation, as seen by the previous paragraphs. But the biggest thing, in my mind, is LeBron James overcoming all of the pressure and criticism after The Decision to finally win his first NBA Title.

"In this fall...this is very tough...in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat." - LeBron James. This quote sealed James's fate, this quote would bring about more criticism than any of us could possibly imagine.

That quote coupled with James announcing his decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Heat on national television, easily made LeBron the NBA's most hated player. Most NBA fans could have got over the fact that LeBron chose to leave Cleveland to play with multiple All-Stars in Miami. Well, you know, except all of those Cavaliers fans who burned their LeBron James jerseys and cried themselves to sleep on the night of The Decision.

But the fact that James went on national television and got his own ESPN special to announce his decision did not sit well with the media and other players. Although the criticism of LeBron James will never stop, we can now begin the debate about whether LeBron James is an all-time great NBA player.
According to LeBron James, the Heat can win "not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven" but even more championships, so it shouldn't be surprising to see Miami back in this position next season. Miami will keep its main core in tact with James, Wade, and Bosh still under contract. Miami will also likely attract multiple free agents, so this team could be even better.

What also works into Miami's favor is that there are not many other teams in the East that can compete with Miami. This year's #1 seed, Chicago, will be off to a slow start with Derrick Rose likely out for the majority of the season. Boston's window for competing is, if not closed, as close to being closed without actually being closed. Orlando is under new management, plus Dwight Howard may be shipped out soon.

On paper, the Heat could be in the Finals for the next decade because of how weak the Eastern Conference is. But hey, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves and just live in the moment. LeBron James is finally an NBA champion. You can say goodbye to all of those funny memes on Facebook about LeBron. King James is a champion, something no one can ever take away from him.