King James takes throne, unfazed by Thunder

Jun 21 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) slaps hands with Dwyane Wade (3) against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter of game five in the 2012 NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Most Thunder fans would love to blame their loss on officiating. Also, a lot of them would pin the losses on a lack of James Harden. However, Oklahoma City needs to accept Miami was the better team.

The media would love to tell you youth is where it’s at, but experience goes a long way in these playoffs. San Antonio never had a really young team in their title runs. Even in 1999, a sophomore Duncan was surrounded by veterans Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, and David Robinson.

It is not matter of if it is Miami’s “turn.” The newly coronated King James and the Heat earned it.

The Thunder gave it a valiant effort, but LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have been to the Finals three times now. Wade knows how to get over the hump; he’s got a ring to back that up.

And LeBron simply played out of his mind.

Kevin Durant is the future of the league, but be happy you are a witness to LeBron in his prime. He put together one of the best Finals and postseason performances in the history of the league.

Everyone wrote off Miami when they went down 2-1 to the Pacers. Thunder fans were ready to book their rooms in Boston when the Celtics went up 3-2. However, no one is buying Finals T-shirts in Oklahoma City metro stores today.

They had a solid run, but we will not to get see another raucous Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd until next season. We can no longer make “King without a Ring” jokes. However, it’s for the better.

LeBron was eventually going to get his first title. It was all up to him, though.

Tim Duncan saw it in 2007 when the Spurs last won a championship. The Big Fundamental found LeBron in the locker room after the Spurs completed the sweep and assured James this would be his league one day. And I’d say Duncan was right.

Durant will get there, but this is LeBron’s league for the time being. All the work he has put in to this moment has paid off, and he can finally be free of not winning the big one.

Whether this is the birth of a Finals rivalry, Miami did everything they needed to do to win a ring. They played their hearts out for four straight games, and avoided a trip back to the Sooner State.

And with it all said and done, even if you bleed Thunder blue and orange, who could complain about the phenomenal postseason we just witnessed? It was one for the ages, and the future looks exciting for the Association.