Christopher Reive: It's time to accept it - LeBron James is the King

LeBron James is on his way to an eighth-straight appearance in the NBA Finals. Photo / Getty Images

Comment: LeBron James haters – it's time for you to put down your weapons and bow to the King, for there has never been one greater.

This is no attempted comparison between James and Michael Jordan. There is no comparison to be had here.

This is simply an observation that we as NBA fans are privileged to be privy to a player the likes of which we are unlikely to ever see again. 15 seasons into his career, there is no stopping the kid from Akron, Ohio, who has booked his ticket for an eighth-straight NBA finals berth.

Getting to the finals is a huge achievement in itself, but this one seems more so than the past seven trips. The Cavaliers have been in disarray all year on their way into the playoffs, and once they got there, they were written off early.

In his 100th game of his 15th season (in which he led the league in minutes)

LeBron James had 35 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, played all 48 minutes and sent his team to the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/wRIoPthsmA

— Eric Rosenthal (@ericsports) May 28, 2018

It was the LeBron James-led Cavaliers vs the World. Guess who came out on top.
Taken to game seven by the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers were on the verge of a first-round elimination. The King looked at the situation and chuckled. With 45 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, James saw off the Pacers' challenge for his throne – leading the Cavaliers to a 105-104 victory.

The first-seed Raptors should have been the team to threaten James. But a 4-0 sweep put the Cavaliers where many thought they wouldn't be – battling Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Again, a seven-game series. Again, the King looked at the situation, drew his sword and won the battle.

Sure, this is a familiar scene. A LeBron James-led team has made the NBA Finals. So what? Why does this prove he's the greatest to ever do it? Why now?

There's an old adage that one man doesn't make a team – and that stays true here, but James makes half of one. In the Cavaliers playoff run this season, James has been responsible for at least 928 of the team's 1821 total points.

Let's look at that another way – scoring 612 points and assisting on 158 baskets, James has had a hand in over 50 per cent of his team's total point during the playoffs. And that's looking at his assists as if they were all on two-point baskets.

That's not to say James didn't get help – when he needed it. Game seven against Boston, Jeff Green was Cleveland's unlikely hero. His 19 points and 8 rebounds proving to make a big difference in the outcome. Against Indiana, Kevin Love, George Hill, JR Smith and Tristan Thompson all stepped up.

But this is LeBron James' story. The narrative was structured when the team moved his long-time friend Dwyane Wade. Wade was underperforming, and the Cavaliers shipped him to Miami for peanuts. It wasn't just Wade who was moved. Jae Crowder, Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, Iman Shumpert, Derrick Rose – all traded or waived as the Cavaliers built, then rebuilt their roster for a playoffs charge.

Could LeBron James lead this dysfunctional side to an unlikely finals appearance? Of course he could.

Let's remember, LeBron James is 33 years old. The same age as Carmelo Anthony and Kendrick Perkins. Anthony showed a decline one might expect from an ageing player this season, while Perkins – signed with the Cavaliers but rarely seeing game time - watched game seven from the sidelines.

Forget 'The Decision'. If you're still letting James' choice to move to Miami in 2010 cloud your vision of his legacy - it's about time you get over it.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing greatness personified. Enjoy the era. You'll be telling your children, and grandchildren, about this one day.