The subject of NBA memorabilia has been a hot topic in recent weeks with the news that millions worth of memorabilia was stolen from the Miami Heat franchise. Among the memorabilia stolen was allegedly forward LeBron James’ jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
According to James’ former teammate on the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 40-year-old has the gear that he wore in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals in safekeeping. James’ Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in that contest, and former NBA big man Channing Frye said that James has the gear from that iconic game stored away in a personal archive.
“I still have my game-worn — not in the game, but bench-worn — jersey from Game 7 of the NBA Finals,” Frye said. “So did Bron. Remember Bron — we had the sleeves. His was torn so that he knew which one was his. So, he only wore that one, and he kept that one. He didn’t let nobody take it. … He had people — his shoes, his socks, everything. Put it in a bag and keep it for his own archives.”
With a championship at stake, James put together one of the best all-around playoff performances of his pro career in the deciding Game 7 against star guard Stephen Curry. He led the Cavaliers in points (27), assists (11) and blocks (three) and also chipped in 11 rebounds and a pair of steals in a game Cleveland won by a mere four points.
The Cavaliers’ Game 7 victory marked the completion of a historic comeback in the championship series for James and company. Cleveland became the first team in the history of the NBA Finals to win a series after dropping three of the opening four games and falling in a 3-1 hole.
Cleveland’s road win in Game 7 was also incredibly noteworthy in the sense that it marked the first title in Cavaliers history and the first championship by a major sports team in the city in many years. The city of Cleveland hadn’t won a major sports title since 1964 before the Cavaliers beat the odds in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Cavaliers fans shouldn’t be worried about James’ gear from the deciding game of the 2016 championship series getting stolen anytime soon if Frye’s comments are of any indication. James is more than deserving of having his jersey, shoes and other gear from that game in his possession because of the herculean performance he put together to help the Cavaliers pick up a win with so much at stake.
His well-rounded showing on the league’s brightest stage will forever be remembered by fans of the team.