OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James cradled the shiny gold trophy and struggled to sum up what might be his sweetest championship yet, the one he is so proudly bringing home to his native northeast Ohio just as he promised to do when he returned to the Cavaliers two summers ago.
Later, flanked by his three children on Father's Day, a cigar between his lips and winning net as a necklace with the lingering stench of champagne, James began to understand the magnitude of his accomplishment for Cleveland after a half-century wait.
"I'm coming home with what I said I was going to do," he said, adding, "I can't wait to get off that plane, hold that trophy up and see all our fans at the terminal.