decision.
The three-time MVP, who became the
NBA's lightning rod when he took his
talents to South Beach nearly two years
ago, is finally a champion as the Miami
Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder
at home Thursday night, 121-106, to win
the NBA Finals in five games.
The game was not in much doubt after the
first few minutes, the Heat leading by five
after the first period, 10 at the half and 24
after three — Miami outscoring Oklahoma
City 36-22 in the third quarter and making
the fourth little more than a coronation-
ceremony-in waiting.
James finished the game with a triple-
double — 26 points, 13 assists and 11
rebounds — to lead a barrage of Heat in
double figures. Every starter had at least 10
points while Mike Miller found a perfect
time to get hot, hitting seven 3-pointers en
route to 23 points.
From the moment James left the Cleveland
Cavaliers with his infamous TV show "The
Decision" and then proclaimed the Heat
would win "not one, not two . . . not seven"
championships in a pep rally for the ages,
he has been perhaps the most scrutinized,
and vilified, figure in all of American sports.
However, one label he now can shed is that
of a great player who could not come
through in the clutch.
Download: The Miami Heat's Celebration Anthem-"He's On Fire"
With the Heat's five-game win, James joins
an even more exclusive club. The Heat
swept the final four games of the series
after dropping Game 1 to the Thunder. The
last two teams to pull off that feat were the
Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen Bulls in 1991
and the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O'Neal
Lakers in 2001.
It is the second NBA championship for the
Heat, who won in 2006 behind Dwyane
Wade and O'Neal.
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