from William C. Rhoden of the New York Times,

The Golden State Warriors are the N.B.A. champions. But in the aftermath of the Warriors’ convincing performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, much of the focus was heaped on LeBron James, who turned in one of the most heroic performances in finals history yet failed to carry his team to a title.

In some ways, James brought the scrutiny upon himself — as he often does — by expressing an unwavering confidence that came across as primping in front of a mirror. After the Cavaliers lost Game 5 on Sunday, James was asked why he was so confident entering Game 6 on Tuesday with his team clearly overmatched yet again.

“I’m confident because I’m the best player in the world,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

continued for more on James...