![\"LeBron](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/57675a661500002b0073b674-e1466455741509.jpg\")
<\/a>LeBron James embracing Kevin Love the second they won the Championship.<\/p><\/div>\n
In the scheme of sports, and especially to Cleveland Cavaliers fans, this was the greatest series in the history of the NBA.\u00a0 But I think I speak for all Warriors fans everywhere when I say I\u2019m sick over it.<\/p>\n
I really wish the Warriors had won their hoped-for back-to-back Championships, but it appeared that the Cavs were a team of destiny, so I\u2019ll try to be as classy in defeat as Steph Curry and Draymond Green were.<\/p>\n
I do recognize that last night’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals was an absolutely great game, probably one of the greatest in history, but I hated it.<\/p>\n
But, as Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said, \u201cIt ain’t about me.\u201d\u00a0 (I should change the title of this e-zine, It’s Not<\/em> About Me, to that<\/em>, just for this one day.)<\/p>\n My favorite image of the entire series, which I’m still getting choked-up over. (I’m honestly crying as I write this the next day!) LeBron knocked Steph over by accident, and as their respective teamates came to help them up, the two superstars took each other’s hands to help each other. Right in the heat of the battle that was Game 7 of the NBA Finals! Now, that’s the epitome of sportmanship! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n For what it’s worth, I did<\/em> predict that the Cavs would win this year. I said it very early on in the playoffs, too. They looked unstoppable for awhile there. Then, when this Finals series was 3-1, in favor of the Warriors, I was hopeful that Golden State would<\/em> take it. But when I saw LeBron\u2019s miserable face after Game 4, I thought, \u201cUh-oh.\u201d I knew he was about to really dig in. And, since the Warriors had just won three games in a row to win the series before<\/em> the finals, I knew it was possible for the Cavs, too, only because of LeBron James, to do the same. And, at the beginning of Game 5, I told Mr. X I thought the Cavs would be World Champions. (I did<\/em> bite my tongue right afterwards, but I guess it was too late this time.) Charles Barkley, who’s my favorite sportscaster, but always wrong in his predictions, actually called it, too. And right at the beginning of the play-offs, as I<\/em> did!<\/p>\n LeBron James, on the floor, overcome with emotion at finally accomplishing what he promised his beloved city he’d do. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Last year, I said I would be fine if the Cavs won it this<\/em> year. I just wanted the Warriors to win it then<\/em>, at least, especially because I disliked so many of last season’s Cavs, who displayed some criminal-esque behavior. I’ve always felt for the Cavs and their city, and I actually did<\/em> want the city of Cleveland, which has always been described as having so much heartache, in general, to experience some sheer joy. So, I said back then that I wouldn’t mind them winning this year. So, being a fair person, I had to stick with that.<\/p>\n So, even though it\u2019s hard for me to write this through my tears, here are some of my random thoughts on the NBA Finals this year:<\/p>\n –I think Draymond Green summed-up the feeling of the loss best in his press conference–it sucks!<\/p>\n Draymond Green’s game face.<\/p><\/div>\n –The NBA should not have affected the outcome of the series the way they did. I know a lot of people think the NBA Finals were rigged, and so do I, to a point. They can’t totally<\/em> fix the outcomes, because the guys still have to play, but this year, I think that the league bigwigs, and the refs, did everything they could to at least give Cleveland their best chance to win. They did that for two reasons: 1) to prolong the series for monetary gain for the league, (and for the refs, to get paid for as many games as possible,) and 2) because the Cavs finally winning, since no sports team in that city had done so since 1964(!), would be the better, more dramatic story, which would bring more audience interest to the entire NBA.<\/p>\n How did they do that, you may ask? In two ways:<\/p>\n Warrior Draymond Green being classy enough to embrace arch-nemesis, (and occasional business partner,) LeBron James. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n 1–Draymond Green, who\u2019s a nutty hothead to begin with, had enough \u201cflagrant fouls\u201d that if he was handed one more, he would, by league rules, have to be suspended for the very next game. So, in Game 4, he received a (correct) lesser call of a \u201ctechnical foul,\u201d after he and LeBron James had a confrontation, initiated by LeBron, actually. That should have been the end of it. But the next day, after the fact, the people in charge of the NBA decided to up the call to a more serious flagrant<\/em>, knowing full well that Draymond, who\u2019s considered the \u201cheart and soul\u201d of the Golden State Warriors, would be disqualified from playing in the next possibly-Championship-clinching Game 5. That totally messed-up the team\u2019s chemistry, and resulted in a bad loss for his team, which meant the series would be extended, giving the Cavs more chances.<\/p>\n Steph Curry.<\/p><\/div>\n 2\u2014Then, in Game 6, where the Warriors could have still<\/em> won the whole shebang, the refs kept giving League MVP, Stephen Curry, so many erroneous fouls that he fouled-out of the game, something he had not done in three years! That guy does not foul! At least three of those called fouls were imaginary, in not just my<\/em> opinion, but in that of so many who also know the game. But, without first Draymond, and then their big guy, Andrew Bogut who had just suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the game, and now no Steph, the refs knew that the Warriors had little chance to win that game. So, that forced the Game 7 that the league and refs, and Cavs, of course, all wanted.<\/p>\n –And, by the way, other sports people say that \u201cGame 7\u201d are the two best words in sport! I, personally, hate a Game 7!!! It\u2019s just way too much stress, especially when my team could lose.<\/p>\n The Golden State warriors, in a game huddle with Coach of the Year, Steve Kerr.<\/p><\/div>\n –This is the first time the Warriors have lost three games in a row in almost three years!<\/p>\n –The amazing thing about this finals series is that, after Game 6, the two teams were tied in total series points! \u00a0 And after all that, the Cavs won last night by just four points! I’m extra<\/em>-sick over that.<\/p>\n –As miserable as the Warriors and I am, I think Cleveland would have felt worse had they lost again, having had their best chance. \u00a0So there’s that. It’s not much, but it’s something to make me, and those of you who are suffering as much as I am, feel a bit better.<\/p>\n LeBron James. Just look at his eyes to see how much this victory means to him! Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n –While I’m absolutely miserable, I so respect what LeBron James has done for his hometown. No matter what, I have to give him tons of credit. His was a scarily great performance. I feel that he<\/em>, and not his team<\/em>, won the Championship. They were just the lucky ones to be included in his glory. (Okay, Kyrie Irving was<\/em> a big help, especially with his game-winning host last night. Ugh.)<\/p>\n –And I really do love that he did it for his hometown, where he grew-up, especially after that whole “taking his talents to Miami” situation. You could tell that this one means the most to LeBron of everything he’s done. (I guess Thomas Wolfe was wrong–you can<\/em> go home again! And with wonderful results!)<\/p>\n –I still consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest layer of all time, but LeBron is a close second.<\/p>\n LeBron James, carrying both the team and his individual trophys to the locker room. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n –LeBron is such a deserving MVP; he really did it almost single-handedly.<\/p>\n –It was so classy of the Warriors fans to stay for the Cavs trophy presentation and celebration. I could not have been more impressed with them. (But think if the Cavs fans would have stayed if it had been the other way round! That’s how it happened last year, and that assemblage could not get out of there fast enough.) \u00a0[Note: You can see some of those Warriors fans watching the presentation in the backaground of the big picture at the top. \u00a0Photo by Karen Salkin.]<\/p>\n –I feel awful for Anderson Varejao and Draymond Green. The latter, because I’m sure he feels responsible for the loss because had he not been suspended for Game. 5, we’re all sure the Warriors would have taken the Championship that night. And Varejao was a Cavilier for twelve years<\/em>, and just got traded in the middle of this<\/em> season! Here, after those dozen hard-fought years, where he never abandoned ship, he would have finally won a title, and now, when he wound-up with the team, the Warriors, with the best chance to do that, he loses to his former team. That’s making me feel the worst of anything!<\/p>\n Anderson Varejao.<\/p><\/div>\n –Though he won\u2019t admit it, I think that Steph is physically not<\/em> okay. I think his knee is still hurt. \u00a0On top of that, the Warriors had no center, Andrew Bogut, a major shot-blocker, for the last two and half games, and they had only a very<\/em> hurt Andre Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP.<\/p>\n –I just don\u2019t want people to say that the Cavs would have won last<\/em>\u00a0year, too, if they had had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, who both missed the Finals with injuries back then. I’m sure that would not have made any difference. I think it was that experience which fueled this<\/em> run of theirs.<\/p>\n LeBron James and his three beautiful children. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n –LeBron has three beautiful, well-behaved children. I love his tiny daughter’s face!<\/p>\n –As sad as I am, I’m not really inconsolable<\/em>. I would have felt bad for the Cavs if they lost, just not even close to as awful as I feel for the Warriors.<\/p>\n LeBron James receiving his Finals MVP trophy from NBA Commisioner Adam Silver, with NBA legend Bill Russell looking on, on the left. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n –At the end of the game, the Cavs really didn’t care about congrats from the Warriors; they closed ranks right away, not on purpose, but just in their joyousness.\u00a0 So I give Stephen and Draymond extra credit for the classy congrats they had to fight their way over to confer.<\/p>\n –This amazing Finals performance by LeBron James should not, by any stretch of the imagination, negate Steph Curry\u2019s unanimous season<\/em> MVP, as some idiots think that it does.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>