"But I appreciate you giving it to us"- When Tim Duncan thanked LeBron James for allowing him to win another title in 2007
LeBron James made his first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 2007 when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship round against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs swept the young Cavs team on their way to the franchise’s fourth championship.
It was the first-ever Finals appearance for Cleveland. The Spurs were in the middle of their dynastic run, and it was the third title for their star, Tim Duncan.
Duncan aka the Big Fundamental led the Spurs to the win. His teammate Tony Parker won the Finals MVP while averaging 24.5 points per game. Duncan had quite the quote when he greeted James after the series ended with Game 4 when the Spurs won 83-82.
“This is going to be your league in a little while,” Duncan said to James. "But I appreciate you giving us this year.”
Both basketball legends laughed afterwards. They then hugged and went their separate ways.
How did the 2007 NBA Finals play out?
Tim Duncan averaged 18.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the Finals. LeBron James led the Cavs with 22.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.8 assists per game.
James carried the bulk of the load in the series. He averaged 42.6 minutes per game. He also had next to no help. The next highest-scoring Cav was Drew Gooden with 12.8 ppg. Meanwhile, the Spurs had Manu Ginobili average 17.8 ppg to complement Duncan and Parker.
The Cavs hung tough in the series. Games 3 and 4 were in Cleveland. The Cavs lost both games by a combined four points.
James struggled mightily in Game 1, finishing with 14 points. Parker led all scorers with 27.
22-year-old LeBron in the 2007 NBA Finals
22 PTS (36% FG), 7 REB, 6.8 AST, 1 STL https://t.co/FqMK2BXbNz
In Game 2, the Spurs dominated again. Parker outdueled James by dropping three points compared to James’ 25.
Game 3 was an ugly sluglfest. The Spurs eked out a 75-72 win after James missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. James had 25 points once again.
The Cavs came roaring back in Game 4, scoring 14 straight points to take a late lead. The Spurs mounted a rally of their own to clinch the title with Ginobili securing 27 points, while James finished with 24 points for the Heat.
James and Duncan would meet in the Finals again. This time James was in a Miami Heat uniform. James led the Heat to a title over the Spurs in 2013. However, Duncan and the Spurs exacted their revenge with a win over the Heat in the 2014 Finals.