'LeBron almost achieved superhero status'

The turning point of the 2016 NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers came when LeBron James started making his jump shots, which created defensive hurdles for defending champions Golden State Warriors.

Former NBA player and now ESPN basketball analyst Tim Legler said if James didn’t trust his ability to make jump shots, the Cavaliers wouldn’t have won the NBA championship.

“They (Cavaliers) won't beat Golden State with LeBron James shooting layups, free throws and dunks,” Legler said in ESPN’s Sports Center.

“They were giving him jump shots. He came out in Game 5 down, 3-1, in Golden State. I remember the first three he got that night, he just rose up and took it, no hesitation and made it.”

What’s astonishing about it, according to Legler, was James was able to change his offensive approach almost instantly in Game 5.

(READ: Off the plane but still sky-high, LeBron brings title home)

“I thought it opened the floor for him… it changed what I thought the dynamics for what Golden State was looking at defensively,” he said.

“For him to turn that around on the fly in the middle of the series with his back against the wall, when he traditionally not trusted that jump shot, he did what he needed to.”

James towed Cleveland to NBA history by helping the Cavaliers become the first NBA team in 70 years to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

‘Superhero status’

For his part, former NBA player Antonio Davis said it was like James became an entirely different person when he willed his team to a title finish against a team that held a 73-9 season record.

“He showed up with that killer instinct. You see this look on his face, he had it one time when he was still with Miami playing against Boston,” recalled Davis.

“Where he really didn't say anything to anybody. He just locked in and focused on the things he had to do.”

Davis said this enabled James to unload back-to-back 41-point performances against Golden State.

James also had a triple double of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to join Jerry West and James Worthy with the only Game 7 "triple doubles" in NBA Finals history.

“That's when you LeBron really take that next step and achieving what we've seen whether it's Michael, Kobe, Magic, achieved the status that like 'this is a super hero right here,'” Davis said.

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