LeBron James silenced critics and proved he’s still “King James”

This is why I love the NBA. The performance I saw from LeBron James last night was nothing short of legendary. Before last night the most memorable game I ever saw LeBron play was 2007 in the Conference Finals. He went off and dropped 48 scoring the Cavs last 25 points and 29 of the last 30. It was an all-time performance from an all-time player. Well ladies and gentlemen he topped that in Game 6. LeBron James played in my opinion the best I’ve ever seen him play. At one point he scored or assisted on 26 straight points. He dropped a cool 41 points and grabbed 16 rebounds along with 7 assists. He firmly reclaimed his spot as the best player in the NBA. I’ve been on record saying Steph Curry was better than him. I’m sorry Mr. James. He has continually proved that he is the most complete player in the world. Beyond the final stat line LeBron did something that he never does. He played with a certain swag about himself that you never see from him. He had a bounce in his step. He threw I no look alley-oop to Tristan Thompson. He caught a no look alley-oop from JR Smith and hung on the rim with two hands. The best part of the night was when LeBron James swatted the reigning two-time MVP and reigning NBA champion Steph Curry and gave him the business. He talked all smack to his face as if to say “bruh your name ain’t ringing no bells around here”. I loved it and if you’re a sports fan you should’ve loved it too. I witnessed the Golden State Warrior lose their composure  and their confidence after things weren’t going their way. Steph fouled out and uncharacteristically cursed at the ref and threw his mouth piece in fruatration. Draymond Green was close to getting a technical in the final minutes. Even Klay Thompson was visually frustrated after being called for an offensive foul and he’s as even keel as anybody in the league. The Cavs played a game that made the cutting Cleveland proud. As a Kansas City sports fan I feel for Cleveland fans who could experience their first pro title since the 1960s. A drought that’s been well documented. Literally. ESPN made a documentary about their misfortunes. The shot, the drive, the fumble and the decision. Generally vague statements unless referring to the city of Cleveland. They’ve had their fair share of sports heartbreaks. Those sins can be washed away on Sunday if LeBron can win just one more game. He has a pretty good chance to do so even in Oakland at Oracle. The Warriors could be without their LeBron stopper Andre Igudola. If he doesn’t play, we could see LeBron have another huge game. Most importantly, it looked like to me that the Warriors spirit was broken at the end of that game. The looks on the faces on Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and other Golden State players told me they were defeated already. They looked devastated as if Game 6 was Game 7. I picked Golden State in 7 and I’m going to stick with that pick even though I’m not overly confident. The Warriors are wounded. Their spirits possibly broken. But these guys are champions. They will be back in the comfort of their own home and Steph Curry will no doubt have an answer for how he was treated down the stretch in Game 6. There were some questionable calls on Curry down the stretch and his head coach was not shy in calling out the referees. I except Curry to show up. I also expect LeBron James to show up. It’s up to the role players alongside them to play their part. This sets up for my favorite two words in sports: Game 7. If the Warriors win, they will be recognized as having the one of if not the best regular season in league history. They will have won a record 73 games and the championship. Their best player won MVP unanimously. Their MVP may not even win Finals MVP if Golden State pulls this off. They will have defeated LeBron James despite him putting up monstrous, historic numbers. The Golden State Warriors will be in the discussion for best team of all-time and could be on the brink of a dynasty with their core of Curry, Thompson and Green staying put. If Cleveland wins, LeBron James legacy is further cemented as one of the top 5 players in the history of the game. Think about it. The Cavs were down 3-1 against a team that won 73 games in the regular season. James and Kyrie Irving put their squad on their back and carried them to the promise land. And the city of Cleveland will stop believing in curses. “The Land” will finally have what’s eluded them for decades, a championship. It will be extra special because a born and bred Ohio son took them there. Drafted by the organization, left the team and then came back to bring his hometown what they’ve been craving for. Either way you look at it, there will be a huge storyline to follow. Happy Game 7 everybody.