The sting of another finals defeat was evident as LeBron James addressed the media following the Golden State Warriors' championship-clinching Game 6 victory.
"It just wasn't our time," James said of his undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers, who he acknowledged got back to where the franchise is supposed to be as a contender.
"We ran out of talent," LeBron added, as the Kevin Love-less, Kyrie Irving-less Cavs finally ran out of gas in their improbable chase for Cleveland's first major sports title in 51 years. "That's a lot of talent sitting in suits."
James, who said he hasn't yet thought about next season, reflected on his fourth finals loss in six tries, including his second straight after falling to the San Antonio Spurs in last year's championship series.
"Of course you question it," James said when asked if he ever questions whether the physical and mental preparation he puts into the game is worth it, adding that he''s at the point where he wonders whether he'd rather miss the playoffs entirely than lose in the finals again.
With Love sidelined due to a season-ending shoulder surgery suffered at the end of the first round and Irving suffering a season-ending knee injury during Cleveland's Game 1 finals loss, LeBron took on an unfathomable offensive burden.
His efficiency suffered greatly as a result, with James shooting less than 40 percent from the field in the series, but he averaged roughly 39 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, with 86.6 percent of Cavs' possessions while he was on the floor ending in either a LeBron field-goal attempt, free-throw attempt, assist, or turnover.
As he had noted earlier in the series, LeBron said that while he doesn't enjoy that kind of shoot-first, ball-dominant play, it was necessary given how injuries had riddled the Cavs.
"I don't enjoy being as non-efficient as I was," James said.
LeBron praised the newly crowned champions before his postgame media conference concluded, adding that the Warriors enjoyed good fortune when it came to their season-long health, however.
"I cannot remember a team like them being healthy all year, for the most part," James said.
In the end, the Cavs' own injury woes prevented LeBron from bringing Cleveland the championship it so desperately craves, but the King's men will be back. And they'll once again enter next season as odds-on favorites.
"I didn't win a championship," James said late Tuesday night. "But I did a lot of good things in this first year back, and hopefully I can continue it."
