OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the second half in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

LeBron James Becomes 1st Player to Average Triple-Double in NBA Finals History

Joseph ZuckerJun 12, 2017

LeBron James made history in a losing effort as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the 2017 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.

James averaged 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists in the series, becoming the first player to record a triple-double average in the NBA Finals, per ESPN Stats & Info.

NBA TV shared James' comments after the Cavs lost Game 5 on Monday:

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LeBron's numbers are why it can be so deceiving to look solely at his 3-5 record in the Finals. Almost nothing he could've done in this series would've swung the Finals to the Cavaliers. ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh noted James' teams were underdogs in six of his eight Finals series:

This year, the Warriors were simply a better team. They won an NBA-record 73 games in the 2015-16 regular season and then signed one of this generation's best scorers in Kevin Durant.

The Cavaliers have been aggressive in trying to put the best players possible around James since he returned in 2014. But Cleveland doesn't have a lot of salary cap flexibility, so general manager David Griffin has his work cut out for him as he tries to close the gap on Golden State.