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The Cleveland Cavaliers' first-ever NBA championship silenced considerable questions over the construction of the team, LeBron James's decision to return to his first franchise, and many other issues regarding a squad that didn't appear to find itself until the postseason. It was a strong statement, the first comeback from 3-1 down in the NBA Finals and a stunning turnaround against a Golden State Warriors group looking to join the ranks of the best teams in league history.
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The title also stands as the defining moment of LeBron's career. After returning to Cleveland to a hero's welcome on Monday, James put out a message to anyone who doubted him or the Cavaliers on Instagram:
However, it's worth paying special attention to the idea that going back to Cleveland was the worst case in his career. During the 2015 NBA Finals against Golden State, James revealed that he had a "secret motivation" for wanting to win the series. He revealed it to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com on Sunday night:
Now, though, LeBron can sip his tea and mind his own business. He was right, we were wrong, and the Cavs have that title.
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The title also stands as the defining moment of LeBron's career. After returning to Cleveland to a hero's welcome on Monday, James put out a message to anyone who doubted him or the Cavaliers on Instagram:
They said u lost a step, wasn't explosive as once was, the best days was in the real view, questioned your drive, your leadership, your commitment, you don't have killer instinct, going back home is the worst mistake in your career, he got the coach fired, players traded, won't work between him and Kyrie, Him and Kev won't work, love your teammates to much, there's no way he can deliver a championship in his hometown, etc etc etc.... But guess what THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS #StriveForGreatness #ThisOneIsForTheLand #PutSomeRespeckOnMyName Hahahaha!!! Yes sir
LeBron calls out several popular takes on the Cavaliers from the past two seasons, including his dealings as the team's quasi-GM and what seemed to be a less-than-ideal fit with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and the rest of his supporting cast. All of them are familiar, except maybe the idea that he loves his teammates too much. That one seems like a bit of a humblebrag.However, it's worth paying special attention to the idea that going back to Cleveland was the worst case in his career. During the 2015 NBA Finals against Golden State, James revealed that he had a "secret motivation" for wanting to win the series. He revealed it to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com on Sunday night:
"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 with in those four years [who] told me I was making the biggest mistake of my career," James said.
"And that s--- 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."
It seems clear that joining the Cavaliers in the summer of 2014 was not a mistake. LeBron's legacy is secure — he brought Cleveland its first major professional sports championship since 1964 with one of the best NBA Finals performances in history. The road was bumpy and full of doubt from analysts, much of which seemed perfectly justified at the time.Now, though, LeBron can sip his tea and mind his own business. He was right, we were wrong, and the Cavs have that title.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!Follow @FreemanEric