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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

James will get well-earned rest

James
Tim Reynolds Ap

MIAMI – LeBron James can rest as long as he wants.

He’s now a two-time NBA champion – and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

After two years of almost-constant basketball, James still found a way to be at his absolute best in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He scored 37 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and simply controlled everything down the stretch, as the Heat won the title with a 95-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.

Two days after helping the Heat survive a wild Game 6 in overtime, his final numbers went like this: 12 for 23 from the field, 5 for 10 from 3-point range, 8 for 8 from the line.

And in a season where he was the league’s MVP for a fourth time, he’s now added a second ring to the collection. Suddenly, his resume is looking as complete as some of the other all-time greats. He joined Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as the only players in league history to win back-to-back finals MVP and regular-season MVP awards.

“Listen, I can’t worry about what everybody says about me,” James said, as confetti fell around him. “I’m LeBron James, from Akron, Ohio, from the inner city. I’m not even supposed to be here. That’s enough. Every night I walk into the locker room, I see a No. 6 with James on the back, I’m blessed.”

James has to be exhausted. He worked out furiously during the lockout in 2011, then that season began on Dec. 25. The Heat went through the rigors of that ultra-compacted 66-game schedule and won a title. James went right into training with USA Basketball, eventually helping that team win a gold medal at the London Olympics. After that, he took about two weeks off, then starting getting ready for this season, which went to the last possible day.