LeBron, Cleveland and why it all matters

In the streets of Cleveland they burned LeBron James‘ jersey six years ago, and now, wearing his jersey that they once torched, Clevelanders are dancing without plans of stopping anytime soon. The prodigal son has come home and delivered a championship to Northeast Ohio. This is a tale that will not soon be forgotten in the annals of history because it transcends sports.

James returning to Cleveland after “The Decision” was inconceivable. As LeBron fled to Miami like Art Modell to Baltimore, a fanbase was once again left out to dry in the most public and embarrassing fashion. He went on to play in not one, not two, not three, but four NBA Finals in Miami; James won two of them. But two years ago the Heat were dismantled by the Spurs in five games and the legacy of LeBron seemed destined to remain that of someone who would never live up to the all-time greats.

Then, James shocked the world by announcing that it was time to come home. James would return to Cleveland and vowed to bring a championship back to the city on the shores of Lake Erie with him.

Nine days ago, the narrative was written – James was going to be 2-5 in the Finals coming up short once again. But the Cavs started winning and the unbeatable Warriors started losing. Down 3-1, LeBron rewrote history and redefined his legacy with the most impressive NBA Finals performance the league has seen.

LeBron James will never happen again, it’s important to realize that. Instead of comparing him to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant, let’s just start appreciating him for who he is. Because, in case you haven’t noticed, LeBron is a pretty special player.

I’m not going to try and convince anyone that James is the greatest of all-time. The statistics speak for themselves and he does things that no one else in NBA history has ever done on a basketball court. That’s my point, LeBron is LeBron. He’s a once in a lifetime player because he does it his way.

Winning a championship in Cleveland goes beyond sports. The amount of character displayed and shown by James when he overlooked and forgave what Dan Gilbert said about him after he left in 2010 is almost unseen in the age of the brand building superstar. LeBron is an icon who writes his own rules, hires his own coaches and orchestrates trades himself. The fact that he won a championship, against the Warriors, doing it his way, is unbelievable in its own right.

The work James does in the community is unmatched and no one has a bigger heart than LeBron — and ultimately, that’s what I believe propelled him to lead the impossible comeback in these NBA Finals. It took Kyrie Irving coming into his own and Tristan Thompson morphing into a dominant interior presence to pull it off, but, make no mistake, LeBron James willed this team to victory. This championship doesn’t happen without James responding to Draymond Green and the rest of the sports world calling him out with his reputation and legacy on the line.

In the end, LeBron remains a complicated player to analyze. He makes the game look so easy at times that we forget how difficult it really is.

He scored the most points, grabbed more rebounds, dished out assist after assists, swiped steals left and right and blocked more shots than anyone else this series – none bigger than his last one as Andre Igoudala streaked down the court for a go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter. When all was said and done, James led the series in all of the above-mentioned categories. It was the first time a player had done so in the history of the NBA Finals.

The greatest of all-time argument is irrelevant. Tonight, LeBron James is the greatest player of right now and a world champion. Nothing was given, everything was earned and James made good on his promise to bring a championship to Cleveland.

On the surface, it’s about sports. Underneath it’s about rewriting your story. It’s about finding your calling after doing everything in your power to run away from it. It’s about realizing that forgiveness can transform a community. This isn’t about sports, it’s about people.

How fitting that the drought for Cleveland ended on Father’s Day. Generation after generation watching on the couch — parents and children becoming grandparents and grandchildren, as each disappointment became increasingly more heartbreaking. It was Elway leading the drive, or Jordan hitting the shot, then Mesa blowing the save, and then ultimately, the decision, and James leaving for Miami.

Tonight all of those bad memories remain, but now they are worth it. LeBron came home and ended all of the suffering. This is a story worth remembering and a story that will never be forgotten. In the end, the same person who entered the league as an 18-year-old prodigy transformed into someone with the biggest heart that gave every last heartbeat for his city and his team.

LeBron James will never happen again, let’s all take a moment and appreciate his greatness.