LeBron James is now a three-time NBA champion, but it's the place he won his first two titles that motivated him to achieve greatness in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers forward infamously bolted Cleveland for Miami after making "The Decision" in 2010. He won two titles and appeared in four straight finals with the Heat before returning to the Cavaliers, where he extended his NBA Finals appearance streak to six straight years this past season.
Unlike last year, however, James was able to bring championship-starved Cleveland a title, leading the Cavaliers to a 93-89 victory in Game 7 over the Warriors to become the first team to ever erase a 3-1 deficit in the final round.
As it turns out, it was some comments made by people he knew with the Heat that motivated him to win a title two years after opting for a return to the Cavaliers.
"When I decided to leave Miami -- I'm not going to name any names, I can't do that -- but there were some people that I trusted and built relationships within those four years ... told me I was making the biggest mistake of my career," James told ESPN. "And that s--t hurt me. And I know it was an emotional time that they told me that because I was leaving. They just told me it was the biggest mistake I was making in my career. And that right there was my motivation."
With his team facing elimination in Games 5 and 6, James put up 41 points in each contest to help his team tie the series at 3-3. In Game 7, he notched a team-high 27 points to bring the Cavaliers their first title in franchise history.
James came close to winning the championship last year, but the Cavaliers ultimately fell to the Warriors in six games. This time around, he picked up his third NBA Finals MVP and showed the Heat and the world it wasn't a mistake to return to Cleveland.
"I knew what I was doing," he said. "I knew what I was doing and I mean, tonight is a product of it."
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