Lebron James is establishing his place among the all time greats with his second straight NBA Finals trophy and a second Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) title.
'King James' had a game-high 37 points and 12 rebounds when leading Miami Heat to a dramatic 95-88 Game 7 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs Thursday night, reports Xinhua.
He was awarded the Finals MVP, becoming only the ninth player to win multiple NBA Finals MVP awards, joining Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Willis Reed.
The championship capped James' 10th season when he bagged his fourth regular season MVP award in five seasons and averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocked shots a game in 76 appearances. He also finished second in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting to Spaniard Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Arguably the best player currently in NBA, James was constantly compared to legendary Jordan but had to deal with the daily criticism that Jordan never had. The latest round of criticism came with defending champion Heat's loss as people questioned James why he only switched to attacking mode in the fourth quarter.
At the award ceremony, James answered his critics.
"I work on my game a lot, through the whole season I put a lot of work to it. For me I can't worry about whatever everybody said about me. I am LeBron James from Akron, Ohio from the inner city. I was not even supposed to be here," said James.
"I am blessed," added James, born to a 16-year-old single mother and going through poverty in his childhood.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
