The King lost his shot at another crown Tuesday night, but at least he bowed out with grace.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, allowing Stephen Curry and Co. to bring Golden State its first NBA title since 1975.
It was a decidedly bitter moment for James, who now has lost a Finals series four times. But game recognizes game, and as the final seconds ticked down, LeBron took a moment to congratulate the NBA MVP.
If you watched that video with the sound on, you noticed the “MVP!” chants from the Quicken Loans Arena crowd in the background. James failed to end Cleveland’s 51-year title drought, but that didn’t stop the fans from giving him a rousing ovation as he left the floor one last time.
The Warriors should be celebrated for their impressive Finals performance, but so too should James, who made a compelling case to be named Finals MVP in a losing effort by singlehandedly carrying the Cavs to within one win of a title.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
