King James Gospel
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: Win or lose, we need to be thankful for LeBron James

By Sam Beech

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James (23) reacts after hitting a three-point shot late in the game over the Celtics Jayson Tatum (not pictured) to give Cleveland a 107-96 lead, on their way to a 109-99 victory. The Boston Celtics visited the Cleveland Cavaliers for Game Six of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals playoff series at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH on May 25, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James (23) reacts after hitting a three-point shot late in the game over the Celtics Jayson Tatum (not pictured) to give Cleveland a 107-96 lead, on their way to a 109-99 victory. The Boston Celtics visited the Cleveland Cavaliers for Game Six of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals playoff series at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH on May 25, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to take on the Boston Celtics in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in their place on Sunday.

Given how tumultuous and crazy this season has been, it is a situation that Cleveland Cavaliers fans should be thrilled to be in.

The Cavs forced a Game 7 due to the herculean effort of LeBron James in Game 6. Despite great anticipation and pressure before the elimination game, James calmly and fittingly delivered one of his greatest playoff masterpieces ever in front of a raucous home crowd at the Q.

Part of the buzz surrounding last night’s game was the feeling that Game 6 could have been James’ last game in front of Cleveland’s home fans. It still could be, as the Cavs need to win a Game 7 in Boston to keep their season alive.

If that was indeed James’ last game in front of the Cleveland fans, then it was a hell of an ending.

If you have been following the Cavs over the past year, you know it has been chaotic. With the Kyrie trade, the team struggles, personnel issues, etc., it is quite remarkable that Cleveland finds itself one win away from getting to a fourth straight Finals.

The one constant, the glue that has held this franchise together, is the all-time greatness of James.

More from King James Gospel

Despite playing with a roster that has been flipped, lacks talent, and has been inconsistent all year, James has put his head down and gone to work on a nightly basis. He has not complained about the lack of talent and stability around him and has made the most of an imperfect situation.

This is the type of attitude and persona that has always separated James from the rest of the pack. He has so many gifts and all the tools to be arguably the greatest individual basketball player of all-time, but he always puts the team before himself.

Imagine other historic greats dealing with this roster. Do you really think this roster led by someone like Kobe Bryant would have made it to this point?

When you take a step back and look at what this Cleveland team consists of, as well as all the trials and tribulations this franchise has dealt with for the last year, it is not pretty.

But James has gotten the best out of these guys, because of who he is as a basketball player and a person.

Will I remember James for the absurd stat lines and eye-popping dunks, jumpers, blocks, and passes?

Of course, I will, as the dude is a walking highlight reel. But I will remember James even more for being the selfless, team-first player and person who gets the best out of his teammates.

No one really knows if James will even leave Cleveland after this season, and the Cavs undoubtedly have a good chance of extending their season with a win in Boston on Sunday. But it is hard to ignore that this could be the last game we see as a member of the Cavs.

I really hope this is not the end of the James era in Cleveland and the end of our season, but I know that I am going to cherish this game as if it is both of those things.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players

No matter what happens in Boston on Sunday, and no matter what James does this offseason, we all should be thankful that we have witnessed eleven seasons of arguably the best greatest player ever.