LeBron James almost won Finals MVP despite the Cavaliers losing

By JOHN DORN

As many suspected the Golden State Warriors to eventually triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into Tuesday's decisive Game 6, the dominating conversation revolved around the series' eventual MVP. Despite being on the losing end, several made the argument for LeBron James to take home the crown.

James who averaged 45.7 minutes per game in the finals, posted 35.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals. He shot an inefficient 39.8 percent, but was the lone force keeping Cleveland contending.

The scene would've been something to remember for a long while: Adam Silver presenting the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Warriors, as Stephen Curry hoists Riley onto his shoulders, only for the commish to call LeBron back out of the locker room to begrudgingly accept his award.

It never happened. After a resounding series and a season-high performance in Game 6, Andre Iguodala was granted the honor. But it was certainly close.

Iguodala and James were the only players to receive votes. Of the 11, Iguodala received seven while LeBron had four. Interestingly, after averaging 26 points, six assists and five rebounds over the six games, Stephen Curry didn't garner a single vote.

Iguodala played stout defense on James through most of the series, and was at least partially responsible for his low shooting marks. In the final game, Iggy posted a season-high 25 points, including three triples.

Jerry West remains the only player from a losing team in NBA history to win Finals MVP, coming in 1969 when Bill Russell's Celtics beat the Lakers in seven games. West averaged 37.9 points.

Now, the discussion concerning LeBron moves on to the offseason, where the Cavaliers have clear improvements to make. Kevin Love's free agent status is the first priority, but these playoffs made it clear that the team's bench must improve. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Cavs want James to be a part of those decisions.

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