A Title For Cleveland

If there were any questions about LeBron James’ place in the pantheon of NBA greatness, they were answered on Sunday night.

When James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers two years from the Miami Heat, after winning two titles in four trips to the NBA Finals, he vowed championships for Cleveland. No major sports team had won a title since the 1964 Cleveland Browns.

James ran the table. He led the Cavs back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals – a deficit unconquerable by 32 other teams – and to that long-awaited championship. The Cavs beat the Golden State Warriors 93-89, with James named MVP of the finals for the third time.

James, who grew up in Akron, simply said in the aftermath: “This is what I came back for.”

The Warriors? They took ridiculous shots down the stretch, went scoreless for the final 4:39 of the game and failed to repeat after winning an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season.

U.S. Open

Dustin Johnson claimed his first major title by winning the U.S. Open at Oakmont by three strokes. He was facing a one-stroke penalty for his ball having moved as he addressed it on the fifth green but his birdie on the final hole rendered the penalty, which was assessed after the round, moot. Jim Furyk earned second place.

MLB

The San Francisco Giants won their eighth straight game, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Sunday. The Rays have lost four in a row. … The Atlanta Braves won their fifth straight and swept three games on the road from the New York Mets as Julio Teheran pitched a one-hit shutout in the 6-0 victory. … The Texas Rangers earned their sixth straight win, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4. … The Baltimore Orioles pounded out 19 hits to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-6.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman