After Delivering on Promise, LeBron James Is Forever Untouchable in Cleveland

LeBron James was already viewed as a demigod in Northeast Ohio when he announced his 2014 return. After delivering Cleveland its first championship in more than five decades, he's taken the next step toward immortality.

While the state of Ohio has long viewed him as its basketball savior, the potential for heartbreak without first securing a title was always there. Making the choice to return to Cleveland was one thing.

Ending 146 seasons of disappointment? Quite another.

Following the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, James has delivered far more than he promised and can forever do no wrong to Cavaliers fans everywhere.

Victory Lap

The Cavs enter this offseason with as little drama or worries as they've ever had.

James will likely opt out and sign another one-and-one contract to maximize his paychecks next summer. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are locked in to max contracts. Even Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert carry three or more years on their deals.

For James, this is truly his time to relax and forget about all the little annoyances of the past year(s).

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All of the odd tweeting, halftime chats with Dwyane Wade and the unfollowing of the Cavs' social media pages can now be washed away under a mighty wave of success. 

"He was off his rocker for a little while,” said Maverick Carter, his friend and business manager, per Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.  “He’s a perfectionist. He likes everything perfect, and he knew this team could be better.”

Now, James doesn't need to be perfect. Far from it, actually. The amount of leniency he's bought is one we've never seen in this area and may never see again.

"This is LeBron’s victory lap for the next year of being able to indulge in this success," Cleveland's 92.3 The Fan's Nick Wilson told Bleacher Report. "We know he’ll work his butt off and all of that stuff, but for him to be able to have that year in the sun where there’s no criticism from the fans. He completely won them over."

Cleveland fans in general are a seemingly paranoid bunch, and for good reason. Typically, if something could go wrong for the past 52 years, it did.

This perhaps limited those who follow James from truly enjoying his once-in-a-lifetime talents—so much energy was wasted on studying his every move, body language and social media pages, looking for that next thing to go wrong.

"From the fan perspective, people could never enjoy the ride," Wilson said. "The fact that they finally won, enjoying the ride is now a real possibility. There was a hangover in the regular season to get to the postseason. Now it’s time for everybody to sit back and marvel at the majesty of LeBron."

Fans aren't alone in showing James gratitude—his heroes from decades ago are showering him with praise. As a kid from Akron, Ohio, James grew up watching former Cavaliers guard Craig Ehlo, who is now returning the favor.

"He always paid homage to all of us," Ehlo said. "Brad (Daugherty), Mark (Price), myself, Larry (Nance). Just saying that if they ever won a championship that it would be for all of us. I felt very included in their title since I played in Cleveland and wore a uniform. I think all of us that played there feel like we’re part of this championship."

Forget the Past

James' four years with the Heat in Miami now seem ages ago. The threat of him leaving Cleveland for warmer weather again appears laughable.

This wasn't the case in 2010, of course, when five different franchises traveled to Cleveland to make detailed presentations to James in an effort to coax him out of town. Now with the best team in basketball already around him and a legacy to protect, there's hardly a reason for James to walk.

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On the off chance James decides to leave, retire or pursue a full-time career in acting (Trainwreck 2, anyone?) this summer, how mad could fans actually be?

"The Decision" was brutal, but that was before he delivered a trophy.

"If he left once again, I don’t think all people would be accepting of it, but I think most people would because he did bring Cleveland its first championship since 1964," said Kenny Roda, host of WHBC Radio in Canton, Ohio.

"With the best team in the league, Cleveland being able to pay him the most money, with his kids getting closer to high school age and wanting to see them play at St. Vincent-St. Mary under Dru Joyce, his high school coach—I can’t see him leaving. He would have to do something worse than 'The Decision' for people to have ill feelings towards him."

Jason Miller/Getty Images

James can essentially do what he wants now, without question:

• Want to subtweet a teammate? Go ahead.
• Poor effort on defense? Eh, it's not the postseason.
• Threaten to leave Cleveland again? Hope not, but thanks for the title!

"What I’m surprised about is people said, 'The curse is done. He’s done his job.'" Wilson said. "When he came back, there was so much talk about not one, can he get us two, can we make it a dynasty? Now that it’s happened, nothing else matters. Miami doesn’t matter. Cleveland was validated with the win."

Of course, Cavaliers fans will (eventually) expect more.

James is 31 and coming off a unanimous Finals MVP. He also became the first player in history to lead both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Irving is on his way to becoming a superstar at the age of 24. Love, Thompson, Shumpert, Channing Frye and J.R. Smith make up a strong supporting cast.

Disappointment will inevitably set in if Cleveland falls short next year and the year after that and so on. Belief in James, however, will never falter.

He did the one thing no one ever has before by bringing the Cavaliers a title, essentially giving him a life pass along the shores of Lake Erie. James is already the greatest athlete in the region's history, no matter what happens next.

Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @CavsGregBR. All quotes obtained firsthand.