LeBron James' high-usage ball dominance has been the defining storyline through the first three games of the NBA Finals.
James, whose all-around excellence in his career has been matched only by his stunning efficiency, has struggled shooting the ball against the Golden State Warriors as he deals with the weight of an unprecedented offensive burden.
But with his Cleveland Cavaliers in the hunt for franchise's first championship and fellow stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sidelined by season-ending injuries, James has been forced into a shoot-first role that hasn't always been familiar to him.
"117 shots in three games is out of my character," James told ESPN's postgame crew following his 40-point Game 3 performance on 14-of-34 shooting. "But I have no choice," said James, whose 123 points are the most a ever scored through the first three games of a Finals series.
"This is a totally different challenge," James said later at his postgame media conference. "I've never played where two all stars are out."
LeBron James has scored, assisted, or created 200 of the Cavaliers' 291 points through the first 3 games of the #NBAFinals. Beyond unreal.
— Synergy Sports Tech (@SynergySST) June 10, 2015
The two-time Finals MVP, who came up limping after a fourth quarter dunk, added that he's playing through pain.
"Everything is sore," James said. "I'm hurting."
Given that he's appearing in his fifth straight Finals - and therefore playing well into June for the fifth straight year - James' soreness should come as no surprise.
If he can once again lead his team to the promise land and deliver Cleveland its first major sports championship in 51 years, the pain that comes with carrying the undermanned Cavs will surely be worth the trouble.
