Overflowing with happiness after bringing glory back to the Lakers and prevailing in the most complex season in NBA history, LeBron James did not forget to send a message to all those who have underestimated him: "I want my damn respect".

At 35 years old, King James has just reinstated his reign in the NBA. The forward won his fourth title in ten finals, with a third different team and after three months of isolation at Disney World, in an achievement that rekindles comparisons with the legendary Michael Jordan.

"We just want our respect," LeBron said while accepting the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the Finals against the Miami Heat.

• The Lakers are the NBA champions

"Rob (Pelinka, manager) wants his respect, the coach (Frank) Vogel wants his respect, the organization wants its respect... and I want my damn respect too," he highlighted amidst applause from his teammates.

LeBron often recalls the doubts surrounding his decision to join the Lakers two years ago and just a few weeks ago, he lamented receiving few votes in the MVP of the season voting, which was won for the second consecutive year by Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks).

Although Anthony Davis was an essential piece in the Lakers' victory, there were few doubts that LeBron would receive the Finals MVP with his averages of 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the six games.

Just about to turn 36 years old, James is the oldest MVP of the Finals since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the only one to win four awards with three different teams, after the ones won with the Miami Heat (2012 and 2013) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016).

Only one player has more Finals MVPs, Michael Jordan (6), the idol of LeBron whom he once described as the "ghost" he has been chasing throughout his brilliant career, since he burst into the NBA in 2003 as the number one pick straight from high school.

The biggest challenge of all

In seven seasons in Cleveland, just a few kilometers from his hometown Akron, James became a league superstar but only managed to reach one final in 2007, where they were swept 4-0 by the Spurs.

In search of a more competitive environment, LeBron moved to Florida in 2011 to form a "superteam" in Miami alongside two other stars, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

The trio reached four consecutive Finals, winning two championships (2012 and 2013). Although the Heat expected the project to last longer, LeBron packed his bags again and returned to Cleveland with the goal of giving his home state its first championship in professional sports history.

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In 2016, he achieved this goal with a spectacular triumph in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors, where the Cavaliers came from a 3-1 deficit for the first time in history.

After losing three more finals in Cleveland, LeBron decided to move to the Western Conference for the first time, where many believed he couldn't exert as powerful a dominance as in the weakened Eastern Conference.

James chose to join the Lakers, one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA but had gone almost a decade without winning a title and was going through a very low moment.

In Los Angeles, LeBron knew he would have new challenges but he never imagined what awaited the franchise this season, first with the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident in January and then with the coronavirus pandemic that forced the playoffs to be held in the Disney World "bubble".

Being away from his wife and their three children, including his oldest son Bronny, a high school star, for three months, LeBron was able to lead the team to the championship in a high-pressure environment and being one of the most visible leaders in the NBA's protests against racial violence in the United States.

Perhaps because of these conditions, LeBron described his title with the Lakers on Sunday as "one of the greatest achievements" he has had.

In recent months, he has also spearheaded a campaign to promote greater voter participation in underserved African American communities leading up to the November presidential elections.

"There was never any doubt because it was LeBron James. I always believed in him," said his coach, Frank Vogel, on Sunday.

"I've seen him take a group that didn't make the playoffs last year, a roster put together at the last minute, and lead us to the promised land," he said. "He is the best player the basketball universe has ever seen". (D)