LeBron James
LeBron James calling out a play against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Photo by Icon Sportswire

The Los Angeles Lakers won their record-tying 17th championship with a 106-93 victory over the Miami Heat Sunday in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

The NBA named LeBron James the Most Valuable Player of the series, which the Lakers won four games to two. The forward had his lone triple double of the finals Sunday, with 28 points, a game-high 10 assists and 14 rebounds.

The Lakers, playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida because of the pandemic, never trailed. They tied with the Heat three times, 2-2, 8-8 and 13-13, but then they ran away with the game.

They led 28-20 at the end of the first quarter, 64-36 at halftime and 87-58 entering the fourth quarter. They held their biggest lead, 82-46, with less than four minutes left in the third quarter.

Anthony Davis and Rajon Rondo each added 19 for the Lakers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 17 and Danny Green 11.

Bam Adebayo led four Heat players in double figures with 25 points.

This is the fourth time James received the finals MVP award. He won it the other three times – in 2012 and 2013 with Miami and 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Only Michael Jordan has been selected for the award more, receiving it after all six of the Chicago Bulls championships in the 1990s.

James called the Lakers a “historic franchise” in a post-game interview.

“To be a part of this is something that I’ll be able to talk about, and my grandkids, and kids be able to talk about, that their paw paw, or their dad played for the Los Angeles Lakers,” he said. “It’s like playing for the Yankees and winning. It’s like playing for the Cowboys and winning a Super Bowl, or the Patriots.”

The championship, the Lakers’ first since 2010, comes after they missed the playoffs for a franchise-record six consecutive seasons. They had missed the playoffs five times in their 65 seasons preceding the streak.

It also comes nearly nine months after franchise legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Until Sunday, the Boston Celtics had sole possession of the lead in championships won since 1962. They won their most recent title in 2008, when they defeated the Lakers in six games.

The Lakers were credited with the first of their 17 NBA championships for their 1949 Basketball Association of America title, in their first season in the league. That league merged with the National Basketball League later in 1949, creating the NBA.

The NBA incorporates titles and statistics from the BAA’s three seasons in its records, but not the NBL’s. The Lakers had won the 1948 NBL title.

The Lakers also won championships in 1950 and from 1952-54. They didn’t win another until 1972, losing each of their next eight finals appearances, including four in seven games. Seven of the Lakers’ finals losses during that stretch were against the Celtics.

The Lakers won their next championship in 1980, Magic Johnson’s rookie season and Jerry Buss’ first as owner. They reigned in the ’80s, adding four more championships – 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal teamed to lead Phil Jackson-coached teams to titles from 2000-02. Bryant and Pau Gasol led the Lakers to championships in 2009 and 2010. They defeated Boston in seven games in 2010.

Several thousand happy fans streamed into downtown Los Angeles outside Staples Center Sunday to celebrate the championship, according to Los Angeles police and media reports from the scene.

The scene was initially raucous but peaceful for the first half hour or so. However, some in the crowd began attacking police cruisers and throwing projectiles.

The LAPD, dressed in riot gear, could declare the celebration an unlawful assembly, according to media reports. At times, it appeared the crowd had grown more peaceful, but as of 9:45 p.m., police began aggressively acting to disperse the crowd from around Staples Center with mounted officers and riot gear, CBS2 reported.

There were no initial reports of arrests, LAPD Officer Norma Vargas told City News Service.

– City News Service