In Historic Finals Return, LeBron Has Condemned East to Repeat Past Yet Again

TORONTO — LeBron James knew the question was coming, knew the scope and weight of the moment, and still he hesitated. Stammered. Felt his throat constrict as he searched for the words.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had just closed out the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, securing another trip to the NBA Finals, the sixth straight for James.

Six straight Finals. No player in 50 years has flirted with such a feat—not Kareem, not Magic, not Bird, not Michael, not Duncan, not Kobe.

“Sixth straight,” ESPN’s Doris Burke said to James late Friday, as fans exited and Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” played over the Air Canada Centre loudspeakers. “Of what are you most proud?”

“Ah, ah,” James said, pausing, closing his eyes and grabbing the back of his head. “I don’t know, Doris. I’ve heard all the questions, and that right there is a stumper.”

He said he was humbled. He thanked “the man above” for letting him “play the game that I love.” His voice cracked, and he paused again.

“It is very emotional,” James said.

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After everything LeBron James has experienced—all of the adulation and enmity, the championships and the misery, the breakups and the homecomings—this moment seemed to overwhelm him.

A year ago, James stood in this same position, having led the young Cavaliers to the Finals in his first year back in Cleveland. But his co-stars were hurt, and the Golden State Warriors were simply too good.

“I didn’t appreciate last year, what we were able to accomplish in our first year,” James said, explaining his emotional state. “I’m just truly blessed.”

Soon enough, the Warriors and Thunder will finish their series and provide James his next opponent. The discussion will turn to whether James can win his third title, whether Cleveland can end its infamous drought. What it would mean if James wins, what it would mean if James loses.

Forget all of that for now, and appreciate what he’s already achieved—the first star to make six straight Finals since the 1960s Celtics.

Winning a title requires some magical blend of talent, commitment, chemistry and luck. Some of the greatest players never win one. Many never even make the Finals.

James is heading to his seventh Finals in 10 years. Whatever happens next, he has already defined an entire NBA era.

In recent days, a cheeky flow chart, titled “Will I Be in the NBA Finals This Year?” circulated on Twitter. …

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