LeBron James wrote the chapter Cleveland has longed for since 1964. 

And this is how it had to go down: James leading the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals to beat the Golden State Warriors, the team that won an NBA-record 73 regular-season games, on the road for the NBA championship.

It was the only way.

James scored 27 points, collected 11 rebounds, delivered 11 assists, blocked three shots and had two steals – his seventh Finals triple-double – as the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 93-89 in Game 7 on Sunday.

He was named Finals MVP for the third time in his career.

Cavs guard Kyrie Irving delivered the killer shot, a three-pointer with 53 seconds left giving Cleveland an 92-89 lead. James made a free throw with 10.6 seconds left to make it 93-89.

It is the first time a team has won the title after falling behind 3-1 in a Finals series, and it took one of the best performances in Finals history from James to deliver Cleveland its first major pro sports championship since the 1964 Browns.

This is why James returned to the Cavs. For a moment like this: James buried in hugs from his teammates as the game clock expired.

“I came back for a reason,” James said Saturday, “and that is to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, to northeast Ohio and all of Ohio and all Cavaliers fans in the world.”

Elation in Cleveland.

Joy in Akron, where James was born in 1984.

Exuberance in Lakewood.

Pandemonium in northeast Ohio.

Cleveland fans, northeast Ohio and the city endured sporting heartache after sporting heartache with two word reminders: The Drive, The Shot, The Fumble, and yes, The Decision. The ethos of Cleveland sporting failures is woven into the fabric of fans.

James and the Cavs washed away the heartache with one improbable championship.

The talk James’ legacy was silly to begin with. This should end that discussion once and for all.

Source: USA Today |  Jeff Zillgitt