Basketball fanatic Barack Obama named legendary centre Shaquille O&#39;Neal as sports envoy to Cuba&nbsp;on Friday, in a new sign of thawing ties between Washington and Havana. 
 
When the imposing seven-foot one-inch player was dominating courts for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in Florida, he was just a short hop from the island state. 
 
But, like other Americans, he was separated from his fans in communist Cuba by the US embargo on its economy and decades of Cold War hostility between the neighbours. 
 
The United States and Cuba finally restored ties last year and officials from both countries are gingerly negotiating a new relationship, even as parts of the embargo fall away. 
 
In the latest stage in the rapprochement, the retired baller will travel to Cuba from&nbsp;June 24 to 28, meet young people, talks sport and business, and visit cultural sites. 
 
(AFP)

Shaquille O'Neal will go on a four-day tour to Cuba where he will meet young people and talk about sports

Basketball fanatic Barack Obama named legendary centre Shaquille O'Neal as sports envoy to Cuba on Friday, in a new sign of thawing ties between Washington and Havana. When the imposing seven-foot one-inch player was dominating courts for the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in Florida, he was just a short hop from the island state. But, like other Americans, he was separated from his fans in communist Cuba by the US embargo on its economy and decades of Cold War hostility between the neighbours. The United States and Cuba finally restored ties last year and officials from both countries are gingerly negotiating a new relationship, even as parts of the embargo fall away. In the latest stage in the rapprochement, the retired baller will travel to Cuba from June 24 to 28, meet young people, talks sport and business, and visit cultural sites. (AFP)

Viva Shaq! Obama names basketball legend as sports envoy to Cuba

LeBron James reportedly joined an NBA All-Star lineup of talent Thursday that will not play for the United States at the Rio Olympics, while Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant will try to bring the Americans a third consecutive gold medal. 
 
A flurry of reports ahead of next week&#39;s announcement of the final US roster for Brazil was topped when Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August. 
 
&quot;I could use the rest,&quot; James told the website. 
 
James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest-ever NBA Finals comeback to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, cited the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals. 
 
NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. 
 
Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also have backed out of consideration, as have San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis of New Orleans. 
 
Joining that group Thursday were Portland&#39;s Damian Lillard, who wants to rehabilitate a plantar fascitis injury; Utah forward Gordon Hayward and San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard. 
 
The pullout brings back memories of 2004, when security worries were a concern in the Athens run-up and many top names withdrew. Those who played could only muster bronze. 
 
The roster to be named next week by USA Basketball is expected to include Oklahoma City star Durant and New York playmaker Anthony plus Indiana&#39;s Paul George, Golden State&#39;s Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento&#39;s DeMarcus Cousins, Chicagos Jimmy Butler, the Clippers&#39; DeAndre Jordan, and Toronto&#39;s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Two other available spots could include Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964. 
 
A source told the website a desire to rest his body from the title run to better prepare his bid to defend the crown was his only reason for not playing in Rio, the Zika virus not playing a role in his decision. 
 
James, 31, sparked the US squad of NBA stars to gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He is the US team&#39;s all-time scoring leader with 273 points and second in total rebounds with 95. 
 
He was also a reserve on the 2004 US team that settled for bronze at Athens and on the US team that finished third at the 2010 world championships in Japan. 
 
&quot;King&quot; James is one of three men to play on three Olympic basketball teams and in 2012, he became one of the select few to win an NBA crown and Olympic gold in the same year. 
 
(AFP)

Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August

LeBron James reportedly joined an NBA All-Star lineup of talent Thursday that will not play for the United States at the Rio Olympics, while Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant will try to bring the Americans a third consecutive gold medal. A flurry of reports ahead of next week's announcement of the final US roster for Brazil was topped when Cleveland.com said James has told USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski that he will not play in August. "I could use the rest," James told the website. James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the greatest-ever NBA Finals comeback to dethrone the Golden State Warriors, cited the grind of having logged so much court time through six consecutive trips to the finals. NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Stephen Curry of Golden State said during the finals that he would not play in Rio. Star guards Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden of Houston also have backed out of consideration, as have San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Washington forward John Wall, Clippers forward Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis of New Orleans. Joining that group Thursday were Portland's Damian Lillard, who wants to rehabilitate a plantar fascitis injury; Utah forward Gordon Hayward and San Antonio forward Kawhi Leonard. The pullout brings back memories of 2004, when security worries were a concern in the Athens run-up and many top names withdrew. Those who played could only muster bronze. The roster to be named next week by USA Basketball is expected to include Oklahoma City star Durant and New York playmaker Anthony plus Indiana's Paul George, Golden State's Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, Chicagos Jimmy Butler, the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan, and Toronto's Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Two other available spots could include Cleveland star guard Kyrie Irving, who played a key role alongside James in bringing the first sports title to Cleveland since 1964. A source told the website a desire to rest his body from the title run to better prepare his bid to defend the crown was his only reason for not playing in Rio, the Zika virus not playing a role in his decision. James, 31, sparked the US squad of NBA stars to gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He is the US team's all-time scoring leader with 273 points and second in total rebounds with 95. He was also a reserve on the 2004 US team that settled for bronze at Athens and on the US team that finished third at the 2010 world championships in Japan. "King" James is one of three men to play on three Olympic basketball teams and in 2012, he became one of the select few to win an NBA crown and Olympic gold in the same year. (AFP)

LeBron out, Carmelo in for US team at Rio Olympics

LeBron James ensured his place among the NBA&#39;s all-time legends by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history and has made a solid case for being considered the greatest player ever. 
 
The 31-year-old forward scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out 11 assists to power Cleveland&#39;s 93-89 victory over defending champions Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals. 
 
With size, strength and speed that enable him to muscle his way to the hoop and finesse as a passer to make teammates a threat from anywhere on the court, James has made himself the dominant player of his era, reaching the NBA Finals six years in a row. 
 
Michael Jordan pushed the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s with remarkable athletic skill and determination, setting the &quot;best ever&quot; standard for many fans over such icons as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 
 
Boston Celtics 1960s big man Bill Russell won a record 11 NBA titles in an era of domination no team is likely to repeat, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O&#39;Neal both excelled but often with help, sometimes from each other. 
 
But James unleashed a magical comeback in the past week unseen in the NBA&#39;s 70-year history. 
 
No team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals until he lifted the Cavaliers to deliver the NBA&#39;s greatest shocker, ending his city&#39;s 52-year wait for a major sports title. 
 
In the process, James matched Johnson, O&#39;Neal and Tim Duncan as three-time NBA Finals&#39; most valuable players.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You put everything into the game. The game always gives back to people that are true to the game,&quot; James said. &quot;I know the history of the game and I was just confident and calm.&quot; 
 
The Cavaliers ousted an ultimate foe that won a record 73 regular-season games and boasted the NBA&#39;s current top scorer and two-time most valuable player in Stephen Curry. 
 
James was an unprecedented leader in every major finals statistical area, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocked shots a game. James flagged off jubilations that continued on Monday when he and the team landed at the Cleveland airport, displaying the championship trophy to more than 20,000 wellwishers. The party is set to continue Wednesday with a victory parade. 
 
Overwhelmed by emotion in the moments after the title was decided revived memories of Jordan&#39;s tearful finish at the 1996 final. Both came on Father`s Day and for Jordan it was the first title since his father&#39;s death in 1993. 
 
Comparisons with Jordan are apt as he and James may be the central players in the &quot;greatest ever&quot; argument for their versatility and success. Both made spectacular dunks and stunning shots in their younger days before learning to trust teammates as they got older, spreading the ball among talented role players to make their teams even more dangerous. 
 
While James was only seconds away from becoming the first NBA most valuable player to lose five finals, he instead improved to 3-4 in the championship series, having gone 2-2 during four seasons with the Miami Heat. James had the last laugh at naysayers who nagged him all along his quest, posting an Instagram statement Monday beside a photo of him holding the trophy. 
 
&quot;They said u lost a step, wasn&#39;t explosive as once was, the best days was in the rear view, questioned your drive, your leadership, your commitment, you don&#39;t have killer instinct, going back home is the worst mistake in your career, he got the coach fired, players traded, won&#39;t work between him and Kyrie (Irving), Him and Kev (Kevin Love) won&#39;t work, love your teammates to much, there&#39;s no way he can deliver a championship in his hometown, etc etc etc.. But guess what THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS Hahahaha!!! Yes sir,&quot; he posted. 
 
(AFP)

After leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback ever in the NBA Finals, he has made the case

LeBron James ensured his place among the NBA's all-time legends by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history and has made a solid case for being considered the greatest player ever. The 31-year-old forward scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out 11 assists to power Cleveland's 93-89 victory over defending champions Golden State Warriors in game seven of the NBA Finals. With size, strength and speed that enable him to muscle his way to the hoop and finesse as a passer to make teammates a threat from anywhere on the court, James has made himself the dominant player of his era, reaching the NBA Finals six years in a row. Michael Jordan pushed the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s with remarkable athletic skill and determination, setting the "best ever" standard for many fans over such icons as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Boston Celtics 1960s big man Bill Russell won a record 11 NBA titles in an era of domination no team is likely to repeat, while Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal both excelled but often with help, sometimes from each other. But James unleashed a magical comeback in the past week unseen in the NBA's 70-year history. No team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the best-of-seven NBA Finals until he lifted the Cavaliers to deliver the NBA's greatest shocker, ending his city's 52-year wait for a major sports title. In the process, James matched Johnson, O'Neal and Tim Duncan as three-time NBA Finals' most valuable players. "You put everything into the game. The game always gives back to people that are true to the game," James said. "I know the history of the game and I was just confident and calm." The Cavaliers ousted an ultimate foe that won a record 73 regular-season games and boasted the NBA's current top scorer and two-time most valuable player in Stephen Curry. James was an unprecedented leader in every major finals statistical area, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocked shots a game. James flagged off jubilations that continued on Monday when he and the team landed at the Cleveland airport, displaying the championship trophy to more than 20,000 wellwishers. The party is set to continue Wednesday with a victory parade. Overwhelmed by emotion in the moments after the title was decided revived memories of Jordan's tearful finish at the 1996 final. Both came on Father`s Day and for Jordan it was the first title since his father's death in 1993. Comparisons with Jordan are apt as he and James may be the central players in the "greatest ever" argument for their versatility and success. Both made spectacular dunks and stunning shots in their younger days before learning to trust teammates as they got older, spreading the ball among talented role players to make their teams even more dangerous. While James was only seconds away from becoming the first NBA most valuable player to lose five finals, he instead improved to 3-4 in the championship series, having gone 2-2 during four seasons with the Miami Heat. James had the last laugh at naysayers who nagged him all along his quest, posting an Instagram statement Monday beside a photo of him holding the trophy. "They said u lost a step, wasn't explosive as once was, the best days was in the rear view, questioned your drive, your leadership, your commitment, you don't have killer instinct, going back home is the worst mistake in your career, he got the coach fired, players traded, won't work between him and Kyrie (Irving), Him and Kev (Kevin Love) won't work, love your teammates to much, there's no way he can deliver a championship in his hometown, etc etc etc.. But guess what THATS NONE OF MY BUSINESS Hahahaha!!! Yes sir," he posted. (AFP)

LeBron: The best ever?

Excitement was building today as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history by dethroning defending champion Golden State in a winner-take-all title showdown. 
 
Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Cavaliers downed the Warriors twice behind 41-point efforts from James to level the best-of-seven series and force a one-game spectacle to decide the crown - just like the NFL Super Bowl five months ago in nearby Santa Clara. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s pretty cool,&quot; James said. &quot;It&#39;s like Super Bowl Sunday. It&#39;s one game and you look forward to it. I&#39;m happy I&#39;m able just to be part of it.&quot; 
 
Golden State won a record 73 regular-season games with NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry making a one-campaign record 402 3-pointers and taking the NBA Most Valuable Player award. 
 
But the Warriors could suffer the worst choke in championship history. 
 
&quot;If you don&#39;t feel pressure in a game seven, you&#39;re probably not human,&quot; Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. &quot;We are human, so when you go from up 3-1 to 3-3, it&#39;s disappointing. But you take stock. We like our chances.&quot; 
 
Curry admits the season will be a failure without a title. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve had two chances already and haven&#39;t gotten it done,&quot; Curry said. &quot;So if we come up short, we&#39;ll all be very, very disappointed. No two ways around that.&quot; 
 
Tickets near $50k&nbsp; 
 
With James and Curry the league&#39;s brightest stars, it was no wonder that the game was luring global attention and ticket resale prices were breaking records, nearing $50,000 each for courtside seats. 
 
&quot;Having a chance to play against a great team in game seven and for the whole world to be watching, I&#39;m very excited for it,&quot; said&nbsp;Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving. 
 
Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era, but the Cavaliers are on the verge of ending the epic drought. 
 
&quot;I know it&#39;s going to be going crazy in Cleveland, so hopefully we can stay the course and bring them a championship home,&quot; Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. &quot;We know it&#39;s a big stage, but our guys are ready for the challenge.&quot; 
 
None more so than James, whose outstanding performances have included slam dunks, pinpoint passes, crucial rebounds, timely steals and ferocious blocked shots. 
 
&quot;To lead the finals in every statistical category, it&#39;s amazing. I try not to get star-struck with watching,&quot; said Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. 
 
&quot;Scoring-wise, he&#39;s more aggressive more than anything. He just has that relentless effort to get to the basket. And he&#39;s an unbelievable passer. Being that big, strong and fast and to be able to see the court the way he does, it&#39;s remarkable.&quot; 
 
No limits on LeBron&nbsp; 
 
Could James strike for 41 points again? 
 
&quot;I wouldn&#39;t put a cap or a number on his performance,&quot; Cavs forward Tristan Thompson said. &quot;He&#39;s a great playmaker.&quot; 
 
The Warriors plan to get physical with James early and often. 
 
&quot;Put a body on him,&quot; said Warriors forward Draymond Green. &quot;He has to feel us from the jump. Can&#39;t let him get into rhythm.&quot; 
 
The Warriors have lost Australian centre Andrew Bogut to a knee injury and top reserve Andre Iguodala, last year&#39;s NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, had severe back pain in game six. 
 
Golden State has not lost three games in a row since 2013, but they have struggled in long stretches the past two games, never leading in game six. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re a resilient team that&#39;s ready for this opportunity. That&#39;s why I&#39;m confident,&quot; Curry said. &quot;I don&#39;t know why we haven&#39;t been ourselves. I couldn&#39;t tell you the reason we&#39;ve been lacking besides it&#39;s just a long, hard grind to win a championship.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era

Excitement was building today as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history by dethroning defending champion Golden State in a winner-take-all title showdown. Trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, the Cavaliers downed the Warriors twice behind 41-point efforts from James to level the best-of-seven series and force a one-game spectacle to decide the crown - just like the NFL Super Bowl five months ago in nearby Santa Clara. "It's pretty cool," James said. "It's like Super Bowl Sunday. It's one game and you look forward to it. I'm happy I'm able just to be part of it." Golden State won a record 73 regular-season games with NBA scoring leader Stephen Curry making a one-campaign record 402 3-pointers and taking the NBA Most Valuable Player award. But the Warriors could suffer the worst choke in championship history. "If you don't feel pressure in a game seven, you're probably not human," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We are human, so when you go from up 3-1 to 3-3, it's disappointing. But you take stock. We like our chances." Curry admits the season will be a failure without a title. "We've had two chances already and haven't gotten it done," Curry said. "So if we come up short, we'll all be very, very disappointed. No two ways around that." Tickets near $50k With James and Curry the league's brightest stars, it was no wonder that the game was luring global attention and ticket resale prices were breaking records, nearing $50,000 each for courtside seats. "Having a chance to play against a great team in game seven and for the whole world to be watching, I'm very excited for it," said Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving. Cleveland fans have not celebrated a major team sports title since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown in the pre-Super Bowl era, but the Cavaliers are on the verge of ending the epic drought. "I know it's going to be going crazy in Cleveland, so hopefully we can stay the course and bring them a championship home," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. "We know it's a big stage, but our guys are ready for the challenge." None more so than James, whose outstanding performances have included slam dunks, pinpoint passes, crucial rebounds, timely steals and ferocious blocked shots. "To lead the finals in every statistical category, it's amazing. I try not to get star-struck with watching," said Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith. "Scoring-wise, he's more aggressive more than anything. He just has that relentless effort to get to the basket. And he's an unbelievable passer. Being that big, strong and fast and to be able to see the court the way he does, it's remarkable." No limits on LeBron Could James strike for 41 points again? "I wouldn't put a cap or a number on his performance," Cavs forward Tristan Thompson said. "He's a great playmaker." The Warriors plan to get physical with James early and often. "Put a body on him," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "He has to feel us from the jump. Can't let him get into rhythm." The Warriors have lost Australian centre Andrew Bogut to a knee injury and top reserve Andre Iguodala, last year's NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, had severe back pain in game six. Golden State has not lost three games in a row since 2013, but they have struggled in long stretches the past two games, never leading in game six. "We're a resilient team that's ready for this opportunity. That's why I'm confident," Curry said. "I don't know why we haven't been ourselves. I couldn't tell you the reason we've been lacking besides it's just a long, hard grind to win a championship." (AFP)

LeBron, Cavaliers try to complete epic comeback over Warriors in winner-take-all Game 7

LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in an electrifying Game Seven to complete an improbable comeback unlike any seen before. As a result, the Cavs picked up their first NBA championship. 
 
With the win over the top-seeded Warriors, who celebrated a championship win on Cleveland&#39;s home court last year, the Cavaliers became the first team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven NBA Finals and win the title. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve had the goal for two years since I came back to bring a championship to the city,&quot; said an emotional James, who returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 after a four-year stint with Miami that included a pair of NBA championships. &quot;I gave it everything that I had. I poured my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this game.&quot; 
 
When the final buzzer sounded to end what was the closest game of the Finals, an emotional James dropped to the floor before he was mobbed by his teammates. 
 
James led Cleveland in the championship-clinching win with a triple-double as he recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to being named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals for a third time. 
 
The win ends decades of heartbreak for the city of Cleveland, which had not won a professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. 
 
For James, the win not only marks his third NBA title, but it will go down as the single greatest achievement of his storied career as it fulfills his promise to deliver a title to his home state of Ohio. 
 
&quot;I came back for a reason. I came back to bring a championship to our city,&quot; said James, who was in tears as he wrapped his arms around the Larry O&#39;Brien Championship Trophy. &quot;I knew what I was capable of doing. I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and I knew I had the right ingredients and the right blueprint to help this franchise get back to a place that we&#39;ve never been.&quot; 
 
The back-and-forth game lived up to its billing staying tight throughout. It included 20 lead changes while no team was able to pull ahead by more than eight points. 
 
Facing elimination in each of their previous two games, James carried the Cavs back from the brink as they became only the third team to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-1 in the championship round. 
 
For the Warriors, who had a record 73 wins during the 82-game regular season, Sunday&#39;s defeat marked the first time since November 2013 that they have lost three consecutive games. 
 
&quot;It wasn&#39;t easy what we accomplished, and it&#39;s not an easy pill to swallow what we didn&#39;t accomplish,&quot; said two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, who had 17 points in the loss. &quot;So got to just take the good with the bad.&quot; 
 
After a record smashing regular season the Warriors could not cap off the campaign with a second successive title, unable to deliver the knockout punch after going up 3-1 in the best-of-season series. 
 
The Warriors were ultimately undone by the disappearance of their high-octane offense, a suspension to defensive stalwart Draymond Green, a season-ending injury to rim-protecting center Andrew Bogut and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala dealing with a balky back. 
 
&quot;Just an incredible run that obviously didn&#39;t end the way we wanted it to,&quot; said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. &quot;It&#39;s been an incredible two-year run. We&#39;re disappointed that it didn&#39;t go our way at the end, but that&#39;s life.&quot; 
 
When the Warriors raced out to a 3-1 series lead the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the Golden State to run away with the series. 
 
But with their backs against the wall, a Cavaliers team that once seem overmatched never gave up in their quest for a maiden NBA title. 
 
&quot;I knew what we were capable of, even being down 3-1 versus the greatest regular season team ever,&quot; said James. &quot;Everybody counted us out and that&#39;s when we strived the most and that&#39;s definitely when I strived the most when everybody counted me out.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

His 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists make him Most Valuable Player of the finals

LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 93-89 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday in an electrifying Game Seven to complete an improbable comeback unlike any seen before. As a result, the Cavs picked up their first NBA championship. With the win over the top-seeded Warriors, who celebrated a championship win on Cleveland's home court last year, the Cavaliers became the first team to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the best-of-seven NBA Finals and win the title. "I've had the goal for two years since I came back to bring a championship to the city," said an emotional James, who returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 after a four-year stint with Miami that included a pair of NBA championships. "I gave it everything that I had. I poured my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears into this game." When the final buzzer sounded to end what was the closest game of the Finals, an emotional James dropped to the floor before he was mobbed by his teammates. James led Cleveland in the championship-clinching win with a triple-double as he recorded 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to being named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals for a third time. The win ends decades of heartbreak for the city of Cleveland, which had not won a professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. For James, the win not only marks his third NBA title, but it will go down as the single greatest achievement of his storied career as it fulfills his promise to deliver a title to his home state of Ohio. "I came back for a reason. I came back to bring a championship to our city," said James, who was in tears as he wrapped his arms around the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. "I knew what I was capable of doing. I knew what I learned in the last couple years that I was gone, and 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." The back-and-forth game lived up to its billing staying tight throughout. It included 20 lead changes while no team was able to pull ahead by more than eight points. Facing elimination in each of their previous two games, James carried the Cavs back from the brink as they became only the third team to force a Game Seven after falling behind 3-1 in the championship round. For the Warriors, who had a record 73 wins during the 82-game regular season, Sunday's defeat marked the first time since November 2013 that they have lost three consecutive games. "It wasn't easy what we accomplished, and it's not an easy pill to swallow what we didn't accomplish," said two-time league MVP Stephen Curry, who had 17 points in the loss. "So got to just take the good with the bad." After a record smashing regular season the Warriors could not cap off the campaign with a second successive title, unable to deliver the knockout punch after going up 3-1 in the best-of-season series. The Warriors were ultimately undone by the disappearance of their high-octane offense, a suspension to defensive stalwart Draymond Green, a season-ending injury to rim-protecting center Andrew Bogut and defensive specialist Andre Iguodala dealing with a balky back. "Just an incredible run that obviously didn't end the way we wanted it to," said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. "It's been an incredible two-year run. We're disappointed that it didn't go our way at the end, but that's life." When the Warriors raced out to a 3-1 series lead the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the Golden State to run away with the series. But with their backs against the wall, a Cavaliers team that once seem overmatched never gave up in their quest for a maiden NBA title. "I knew what we were capable of, even being down 3-1 versus the greatest regular season team ever," said James. "Everybody counted us out and that's when we strived the most and that's definitely when I strived the most when everybody counted me out." (Reuters)

LeBron delivers on promise, leads Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA title

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Thursday announced that the China-based conglomerate Wanda Group will be a worldwide exclusive business partner with FIBA games for the coming 16 years. 
 
According to an agreement reached between the FIBA and Wanda on Thursday in Beijing, Wanda will be FIBA&#39;s exclusive partner for the sale and marketing of global sponsorship and licensing rights over the next four FIBA Basketball World Cup cycles from 2016 to 2033. 
 
The long-term partnership will involve FIBA Basketball World Cups and their Qualifiers, the Men&#39;s and Women&#39;s Continental Cups and their Qualifiers, as well as the FIBA Women&#39;s Basketball World Cups and Youth World Championship. 
 
FIBA Secretary-General Patrick Baumann said the union would both spread basketball&#39;s reach globally and contribute to the success of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. 
 
&quot;When you go to a partnership of that sort, you bring all your assets to the other partner and the partner brings all his assets. There are no better words than to describe it as a marriage. Basketball will be the best sport in the world. China will be, 16 years from now -- let me just think a little bit aloud -- China will be playing in the semi-finals of the world cup and probably in the gold medal game,&rdquo; said Patrick Baumann, Secretary-General of the FIBA. 
 
The FIBA and Wanda Group will work together to introduce new basketball events including an Asian basketball championship league and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) 3&times;3 League. 
 
&quot;Basketball has not been developed well in the Asian region. There is no fixed annual game for national teams and clubs. There is not a league for Asian clubs. So this is our opportunity. We will introduce new games and Wanda and FIBA will jointly own the intellectual property,&rdquo; said Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Wanda Group. 
(Reuters)

The union for the next 4 FIBA Basketball World Cups will have Wanda as the only partner for sales and marketing of sponsorship of the events

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Thursday announced that the China-based conglomerate Wanda Group will be a worldwide exclusive business partner with FIBA games for the coming 16 years. According to an agreement reached between the FIBA and Wanda on Thursday in Beijing, Wanda will be FIBA's exclusive partner for the sale and marketing of global sponsorship and licensing rights over the next four FIBA Basketball World Cup cycles from 2016 to 2033. The long-term partnership will involve FIBA Basketball World Cups and their Qualifiers, the Men's and Women's Continental Cups and their Qualifiers, as well as the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cups and Youth World Championship. FIBA Secretary-General Patrick Baumann said the union would both spread basketball's reach globally and contribute to the success of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. "When you go to a partnership of that sort, you bring all your assets to the other partner and the partner brings all his assets. There are no better words than to describe it as a marriage. Basketball will be the best sport in the world. China will be, 16 years from now -- let me just think a little bit aloud -- China will be playing in the semi-finals of the world cup and probably in the gold medal game,” said Patrick Baumann, Secretary-General of the FIBA. The FIBA and Wanda Group will work together to introduce new basketball events including an Asian basketball championship league and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) 3×3 League. "Basketball has not been developed well in the Asian region. There is no fixed annual game for national teams and clubs. There is not a league for Asian clubs. So this is our opportunity. We will introduce new games and Wanda and FIBA will jointly own the intellectual property,” said Wang Jianlin, chairman of the Wanda Group. (Reuters)

FIBA announces long-term partnership with Wanda

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