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LeBron James is going to the NBA Finals yet again, and don't take it for granted

After four MVPs and a pair of championships, after 12 All-Star appearances and placement on every All-NBA first team for the past decade, we have a tendency to take LeBron James for granted. We look for reasons to advance newcomers past him (Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry), have diminished him for seeking out other superstars to win titles because, hey, Michael never did it. Yet we are routinely reminded that most criticism of James is excessive, that suggestions of a significant gap between James and any member of the NBA's elite is absurd. We are reminded that we are watching a basketball icon, one showing no signs of slowing down.

It was 33 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for James in Cleveland's 113-87 series-clinching win over Toronto, and an unmistakable message with it: The Cavaliers are ready for the Finals. Toronto was scrappy, and its star, its leader, Kyle Lowry, refused to quit. The Raptors gave Cleveland something to think about with back-to-back wins in Game 3 and 4, yet this opponent would not be denied. Too much Kyrie Irving (30 points), too much Kevin Love (20) and, yes, too much James, who imposed his will early and never relented. Treat this game like it's our Game 7, James told his teammates on Friday, and the Cavaliers responded with a second straight brilliant performance.

"There's only one LeBron James," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "He makes a difference on whatever team he plays on. Everyone in that organization, their level has gone up because he is on the team."

It's six straight trips to the Finals for James, seven overall, and make no mistake: In this one, there will be no excuses. No injuries, no inexperience issues, no deeper, more seasoned foe standing in the way. The Cavaliers are not flawless, but general manager David Griffin has constructed a team two deep at every position with a trio of the world's best players manning three of them. "A lot of the stuff [they do] one-on-one, they are impossible to guard," Casey said. Indeed, coach Tyronn Lue has done some good things since taking over for David Blatt midseason, but it's Cleveland's superior skill level that sets it apart.

Last season was a frustrating one for James, as injuries ravaged his supporting cast until he was eventually left to try to beat back Golden State alone. This season had its challenges, with Blatt's dismissal and mounting frustrations over James's off-the-court behavior serving as distractions. Those days seem like a lifetime ago, erased by a 12-2 romp through the conference playoffs and a fine-tuned team that has taken its game to the next level.

"I cannot tell you how impressed I was with them after we played them, and how much they improved," Nets coach – and former Hawks assistant – Kenny Atkinson told The Vertical. "They swept us in the playoffs last year, but that was more LeBron taking over. This is a much more balanced team. They are better defensively. They are sharing the ball. They are moving the ball at such a pace and with great crispness. They are a vastly improved team. Whoever they play in the Finals, it's hard to say they wouldn't be the favorite."

For months, Cleveland's return to the Finals has been billed as inevitable. For months, it was a narrative James fought fiercely against. Some 13 years in the NBA have taught James that anything can happen. Only now, sitting on a dais, flanked by Love and Irving, would James accept it. Said James, "We earned our right to be here today."

There is confidence in James' voice, and why shouldn't there be? He has Irving, a marquee point guard to lean on. Irving was on the floor when Cleveland celebrated this last season, but the pain coursing through his injured left knee blunted his ability to enjoy it. He hugged James, hobbled off the floor and wondered why this moment didn't feel like it should.

"I remember having that knee brace on, and it didn't feel right," Irving said. "Kevin was out. I'm thinking about the steps we took to get back to where we are now. I have a true appreciation of my teammates and an appreciation of the journey."

Love wasn't a part of that journey, an injured shoulder ending his season in the first round. He averaged 15.2 points against Toronto – with 12 rebounds in the clincher – and knocked down 44.8 percent of his 3-pointers. His defense will be an ongoing issue, especially with pick-and-roll heavy offenses in Oklahoma City or Golden State looming. Yet, Love remains a dynamic offensive talent, a player who must be accounted for at all times on the offensive end of the floor.

"This city has been craving a championship," Lue said. "We have the right team and the right talent."

Yes, everywhere James looks he sees weapons, sees capable teammates ready to step up. "Having these guys at full strength, having our team at full strength, I appreciate this moment," James said. He has the coach he wants, the roster he's craved, and now James must play the series of his life. Curry has taken out James once, and Durant and Russell Westbrook are powerful and hungrier than ever before. It will be a formidable task, for sure, but one James and the Cavs have never been more ready for.

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