Like it or not, we’re living in the age of LeBron.
Historic championship comebacks, through-the-roof TV ratings, sad sports cities turned into Happyville. LeBron James can apparently do it all.
The Cleveland Cavaliers forward has won three NBA titles with two teams in a five-year span against three future, former or current MVPs: Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan and Stephen Curry.
And now after liberating Cleveland, there were reports Monday that James would sit out the Olympics and a chance to win a third gold medal with Team USA.
James, 31, can probably use the rest. After all, he freed Cleveland from its 52-year sports jinx.
He exhibited just about everything against Golden State during the 18-day run of the NBA Finals.
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He disrespected Draymond Green by callously stepping over him after knocking him down in Game 4, an incident that actually gave Cleveland hope when Green was suspended for Game 5 because of a retaliatory punch to James’ groin.
James glowered at Curry after blocking his shot ferociously in Games 6 and 7.
And yet he exhibited forgiveness after the Cavaliers became the first team in Finals history to rally successfully from a 3-1 deficit.
James surely remembered the TV images of his jersey burned by fans when he left for Miami in 2010, but called it part of “yesterday’s newspaper” when asked about it Sunday.
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He grew up in nearby Akron, was drafted by Cleveland, bolted to win two championships with Miami and then returned two years ago with unlimited potential for seldom-seen sports redemption.
“I came back for a reason. I came back to bring a championship to our city,” he said. “I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone. When I came back, I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we’ve never been.”
He was the unanimous Finals MVP. No one else approached his off-the-charts numbers. In the last three games alone, he averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, three blocked shots and three steals.
Through it all, James remains a tough personality to define. He’s not as warm and fuzzy as Curry though not as Draconian as the deathly serious Kobe Bryant.
On one hand, he jabbed a reporter in the aftermath of Game 7 for “harping on” the James-better-deliver-to-Cleveland theme the last few weeks.
On the other hand, he demonstrated knowledge of his home state’s woes, recounting Earnest Byner’s fumble, John Elway’s 98-yard drive and Jose Mesa’s failure to close out the bottom of the ninth in the 1997 World Series.
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LeBron James holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 19. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers fans celebrate at a watch party at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland as their team defeats the Golden State Warriors to claim the NBA championship on June 19.
(Jason Miller / Getty Images)
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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and Kevin Love celebrate after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 19.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates in the final moments of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images )
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Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) throws up a shot against Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after defeating the Golden State Warriors, 93-89, in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after losing 93-89 in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) blocks a shot by Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) goes to the basket between two Cavaliers defenders during the first half of Game 7.
(Ezra Shaw / EPA)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Kevin Love (0) celebrate after defeating the Golden State Warriors, 93-89, in Game 7.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives with the ball against Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in Game 7.
(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts to a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after scoring against the Cavaliers during the second half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30)during the first half in Game 7.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, dribbles against Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles against Cavaliers forward LeBron James during the second half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after scoring against the Cavaliers during the second half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) talks with an official during the second half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives for a layup against the Warriors in Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Getty Images)
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Warriors forward Draymond Green exchanges words with Cavaliers forward LeBron James during Game 7.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Warriors forward Klay Thompson scores inside against the Cavaliers in Game 7.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James drives down the lane against the Warriors for a layup in the first half of Game 7 on SUnday in Oakland.
(Eric Risberg / Associated Press)
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Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson steals the ball from Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the first half of Game 7.
(John G. Mabanglo / EPA)
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Marreese Speights celebrates after the Golden State Warriors scored against the Cleveland Cavaliers during an NBA Finals game in Oakland on June 19. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers forward LeBron James slips a pass around Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving attempts to steal the ball from Warriors guard Stephen Curry during the first half.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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Fans cheer as Warriors guard Stephen Curry celebrates a play during the first half of Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
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Stephen Curry reacts after making a three-point basket against the Warriors in the first half.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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A Golden State fan holds up photos of Warriors forward Draymond Green, guard Stephen Curry, Curry’s daughter Riley, and Cavaliers forward LeBron James before Game 7.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
James also pointed the finger at himself for getting swept by San Antonio in the 2007 NBA Finals and losing in six games last year to Golden State.
The only mistake he made was calling Elway’s drive 99 yards.
He vacillated between tears and smiles in the first hour after Game 7, and it all made sense.
He wasn’t the only one crying tears of joy: Game 7 was the highest-rated NBA game ever on ABC, drawing an 18.9 overnight rating, according to Nielsen.
“Throughout my 13-year career, I’ve done nothing but be true to the game, give everything I’ve got to the game — put my heart, my blood, sweat, tears into the game — and people still want to doubt what I’m capable of doing,” James said. “So that was a little icing on the cake for myself.”
Cleveland has some off-season work to do. J.R. Smith will be a free agent and locking up James to a long-term contract would be ideal, but he seems happy to go year-to-year.
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Oddsmakers have already established Golden State, not Cleveland, as slight championship favorites next season.
James will shrug his broad shoulders again.
“I can’t wait to get off that plane and hold that trophy up and see all our fans at the terminal … and I know they’re going to be ready,” James said before the Cavaliers headed home Sunday. “So I can’t wait to give the emotion back to them.”
Mike Bresnahan previously covered the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times. He started the beat in 2004, a month after Shaquille O’Neal was traded, and covered several seasons of mediocrity before the Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. Now they’re back to mediocrity. Bresnahan is from Los Angeles, started with The Times after graduating the University of Wisconsin in 1994, and has also covered the L.A. Kings, pro beach volleyball and numerous colleges and high schools. He left The Times in 2016.
