2013 NBA Finals MVP (LeBron James)

Lore & Background

The 2013 NBA Finals was the championship series of the NBA's 2012–13 season, played from June 6 to 20, 2013. The defending champion Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games to win their second consecutive championship and third overall. The Heat's late rally in Games 6 and 7, which included Ray Allen's clutch 3-pointer in Game 6 to force overtime, has made it one of the greatest Finals of all time.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the American Airlines Arena was thick enough to choke on. The clock ticked down in Game 7, the scoreboard showing a razor-thin lead for Miami. LeBron James stood at the top of the key, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his brow onto the polished hardwood. He looked across the court, seeing the exhausted faces of the Spurs' defense and the desperate eyes of his teammates. The noise of the crowd was a distant hum compared to the pounding in his ears. He dribbled once, twice, feeling the rhythm of the game settle into his bones. With a sudden burst of energy, he drove hard to the rim, absorbing contact, twisting in mid-air, and releasing the ball with a precision that only comes from years of dominance. The net snapped as the buzzer sounded, and for a moment, there was silence before the eruption of pure, unadulterated joy.

Reader's Guide

LeBron James recorded a triple-double in Game 1 with 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. In Game 2, James made a highlight-reel block on a dunk attempt by Tiago Splitter. In Game 6, James had a triple-double (32 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds), becoming the first player since Magic Johnson in 1991 to have two triple-doubles in the same NBA Finals series.

Did You Know?

• Four former NBA Finals MVPs played in the series: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James.
• The 2013 Finals set a record for most international players on either Finals roster (10).
• This was the last NBA Finals series to use the 2–3–2 format.