LeBron James could not mask his disappointment as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the NBA Championships to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, June 16. The Cavs lost by 8 points as the final buzzer rang in the ears of every player on their home court at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. James walked directly to MVP Stephen Curry and extended his right arm out for a handshake.
Statistically speaking, he gave the overall best performance in the NBA Finals. James, who was called “Superman” by head coach David Blatt earlier along in the Finals brought out his best game. He scored 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists while rallying the rest of his teammates. A few games prior, James even purchased an Apple Watch for each member of the Cavaliers to boost player morale and spirits.
"Doesn't matter if I'm playing in Miami or playing in Cleveland or playing on Mars. You lose in the finals, it's disappointing,” said James. “We had 14 assists and I had 9 of them. I don’t enjoy that. That’s not winning basketball. If I could’ve gave more, I would’ve done it.”
James attributed the loss of the series to injuries in the Cavs. The team had to operate without the full support of two its strongest players. Kyrie Irving fractured his kneecap and Kevin Love dislocated his shoulder. The Cavs rode on James like a crutch.
“Not every story has a happy ending. It doesn’t mean it was a bad story. It was not. It was a good story,” said Blatt.
The Cavs, according to James “ran out of talent.” No matter how good James played, the 2015 Finals came down to a numbers game. The Golden State Warriors outnumbered the Cavs with strong players and good health throughout the 6 games. Although the Cavs lost the Finals, James kept true to his promise to fans by getting them there. In a post-game interview, James stated that it was fun to “compete during the playoffs and the first round, the second round, and the Eastern Conference Finals.” The level of talent that he played at was critical in boosting viewership ratings on ABC this season.
