LeBron James spent an entire MVP season eschewing long-range shots for drives to the bucket and high-percentage, close looks. He shot 56.5 percent from the field with that strategy, won his fourth NBA MVP award, and carried the Miami Heat to a 27-game winning streak.
In the NBA Finals, however, the San Antonio Spurs didn't give LeBron the paint, choosing to leave him open for long twos and 3-pointers. In Game 7, the "King" made them pay their tithe by draining those open shots.
James was 12-of-23 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in a career-defining performance that erased all doubt about his ability to perform in the clutch. He finished the night with 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
"I work on my game a lot throughout the offseason," said James, "I put a lot of work into it and to be able to come out here and (have) the results happen out on the floor is the ultimate. The ultimate. I'm at a loss for words."
James hit a crucial 3-pointer late in regulation in Game 6 as well, a foreshadowing of the shooting clinic he put on while the Spurs ignored him on the outside. For Manu Ginobili of the Spurs, the Game 7 failure only makes Game 6's collapse hurt more.
"In my case, I still have Game 6 in my head," Ginobili said. "Today, we played an OK game. They just made more shots than us. LeBron got hot. Shane (Battier), too. Those things can happen. But being so close and feeling that you are about to grab that trophy, and seeing it vanish is very hard."
James' shooting was infectious; Shane Battier, buried on the bench since the Eastern Conference Finals, was 5-of-6 from 3-point land. Battier and Wade helped cover for Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Mike Miller's off nights. That trio combined for zero points, but it didn't matter.
The Miami Heat are world champions once again.
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