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LeBron James named NBA Finals MVP after leading Lakers to their 17th championship

ryan young
Staff writer
·2 min read

After a dominant series, capped with a blowout win on Sunday night, it’s only fitting that LeBron James takes top honors.

James, after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th title, was the unanimous winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.

James has now won the award four times, and is the first player in league history to do so with three different franchises — he won his first two with the Miami Heat and his third with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Only two other players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kawhi Leonard, have done so with two different teams.

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James now has the second-most Finals MVPs in NBA history, too, second only to Michael Jordan.

“I told [Lakers president Jeanie Buss] when I came here that I would put this franchise back in the position where it belongs,” James said on the court. “Her late, great father did it for so many years, and she just took it on after that. For me to be a part of such a historical franchise, it’s an unbelievable feeling not only for myself, but for my teammates, for the organization, for the coaches, for the trainers, for everybody that’s here.

“We just want our respect. [General manager Rob Pelinka] wants his respect. Coach [Frank] Vogel wants his respect. Our organization wants their respect. Laker Nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect too.”

James led the Lakers to a dominant 106-93 win against the Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night at Walt Disney World in Florida, capping one of the most eventful seasons in history. He finished with a triple-double in Game 6, putting up 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

James averaged a near-triple-double throughout the series, too, finishing with 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. The 35-year-old put up 25.3 points and a career-high 10.2 assists per game this season, too, his 17th in the league.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James
LeBron James, of course, is the NBA Finals MVP. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

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