Cavs win championship in true Cleveland fashion

The Cleveland Cavaliers are champions of the NBA world, after a 93-89 victory in Game 7 of the NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

Go and read LeBron James’ coming home letter, again.

In it, James outlines some very clear messages.

Delivering a championship won’t be easy. It will take time. It won’t be given- it will be earned.

Now, think about Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Think about the constant momentum swings, a roaring Oracle Arena crowd, a Draymond Green three-pointer followed by a James or Kyrie Irving and-one play.

In fact, think all the way back to last week, when, as crazy as it sounds now, the Cavaliers found themselves behind 3-1. No team in NBA Finals history had ever came back from that deficit. Against a 73-win Warriors team, it seemed impossible.

But, as James said back in 2014- it won’t be easy, it won’t be given and it will be earned.

Now, it is here.

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“I don’t know why the man above give me the hardest road, but … the man above don’t put you in situations that you can’t handle,” James said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I just kept that same positive attitude. Instead of saying, ‘Why me?’ I said, ‘This is what He wants me to do.’ And Cleveland, this is for you.”

There is a reason why the Cavaliers road to the championship was the hardest, longest and most improbable in NBA history.

Because it’s Cleveland.

Nothing is meant to be easy in this city.

The 52 years of heartbreak and infamous Cleveland sporting moments are now washed away and overshadowed by one championship.

Boy, was it one hell of a 48 minutes to get there though.

James, again, was terrific. The unanimous finals MVP put up 27 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, capping off one of the most incredible finals efforts in history. James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, cementing his legacy as the greatest player of this generation.

In relation to James however, Game 7 will be remembered by one play.

With the scores tied at 89-89 with just under two minutes remaining, Irving missed a short jumper. This trigged a Warriors fast break, in what seemed to be a two-on-one advantage. Then, as Andre Iguodala went up for what was a sure dunk or lay-in, James soared from the sky and pancaked Iguodala’s attempt.

It was the block heard around the world.

Of course, as amazing as that play was, the Cavs still had to score to secure the championship.

Enter, Irving.

The criticism surrounding Irving has been intense over the past couple of years. He has been ridiculed for an isolation-heavy, score-first and ask questions later approach to the game of basketball.

Ironically though, those traits are what makes Irving so special. That killer instinct that he possesses is innate. It can’t be breed or taught into an individual, you either have it or you don’t.

Watching Irving hit a cold-blooded three-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to put the Cavs up three, and it was clear- the kid is a player. Everything that James says about Irving being special is true. Irving outplayed the two-time MVP for seven straight games and it the shot that will be entrenched in Cleveland’s hearts forever. No, not Michael Jordan’s shot over Craig Ehlo. The shot now has a new definition in Cleveland sports lure.

How about the other member of the Cavs Big 3?

Kevin Love has been criticized for a number of things over his tenure in Cleveland, but nothing greater than his defense. Coming into the series, many worried about Love’s inadequacy at switching onto Stephen Curry, especially when Curry gets into his dribble-dance routine before hitting another three-pointer.

This exact scenario occurred after Irving clutch triple. Instead, the narrative was flipped. It was Love making Curry look clueless, as the MVP jacked up a wild three-pointer thanks to some wonderful defense from Love.

It was poetry in motion.

Each member of the Cavs Big 3 making championship plays in the championship-clinching game.

It wasn’t easy or relaxing, but would Cleveland have it any other way?

After all, this would only happen in Cleveland.