LeBron James was masterful in the NBA Finals. So much so, he received votes for Finals MVP despite not winning the championship. That, however, is typically how sports work. Even if they had the best performance, athletes are rarely rewarded with awards unless they win the championship.
That changed on Wednesday when James won the ESPY for "Best Championship Performance" which even surprised him.
James beat out Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, American Pharoah and Florida Gators softball player Lauren Haeger for the award. It made for a bit of an awkward moment as James truly appeared surprised to have won. He handled it well, however, congratulating the other nominees and the Golden State Warriors.
Now he'll always have a memento to remember the time he nearly averaged a triple double in the NBA Finals but didn't win.