Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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An emotional LeBron James got choked up moments after he celebrated his sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals on Friday night.
With James scoring 33 points and Kyrie Irving adding 30, the Cavaliers overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors 113-87 in Game 6 to advance to the NBA Finals for the second year in a row.
James' voice began to crack when asked by ESPN's Doris Burke what he is most proud of with his trips to the championship series.
"I don't know," James said on the court. "I have heard all the questions, and that right there is a stumper. Um, I am just very humbled and gracious that the man above has given me the opportunity to play the game that I love. And I get to go out here and do it every single night in front of my fans.
"It is very emotional to be a part of something like this. This is my sixth straight. It means everything."
James, who also had 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks Friday night, has been on the winning Eastern Conference team every season since 2011. He won the first of four straight conference titles with the Miami Heat, followed by the past two with Cleveland.
James told reporters after the game that he didn't fully appreciate last year's trip to the NBA Finals in his return to Cleveland due to injuries that knocked out Kevin Love and Irving in the postseason.
Love dislocated his shoulder in the first round against the Boston Celtics last year and was lost for the postseason. Then Irving required season-ending surgery on his left kneecap after injuring it in Game 1 of the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, who went on to win the series 4-2.
"There's definitely a different feeling," James said as he sat next to Love and Irving in the postgame interview. "I didn't appreciate last year myself personally on getting to the Finals. Just so much was going on in my mind, knowing that Kev was out for the rest of the season and knowing that Ky was dealing with injuries all the way from the first round. I just didn't appreciate it.
"It's definitely a different feeling. Having these guys right here at full strength, having our team at full strength, and the way I feel personally, I appreciate this moment, to be able to be a part of it and to be there once again."