LeBron James inspires Miami Heat to win NBA title

LeBron James

An inspirational performance from LeBron James helped the Miami Heat secure the NBA title.

Miami won the fifth game of the series 121-106 to wrap up a 4-1 series victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 6ft 8in small forward won his first NBA title after weighing in with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

Voted the Most Valuable Player of the series, 27-year-old James said: "It means everything. This is a dream come true for me."

It was the perfect response by James to some heavy criticism for his below-par performances in last year's NBA finals defeat by the Dallas Mavericks.

He also faced criticism over the manner of his departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010.

James said: "I've been through a lot the last two years but this is definitely the way that it pays off.

"Losing in the finals last year put me back in place. It humbled me a lot and I was able to go back to the basics."

As well as James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Mike Miller all scored 20 points or more, with Miller scoring seven of eight three-point attempts.

The Heat, who won their only previous championship in 2006, led 31-26 after the first quarter and stretched that advantage to 59-49 at half-time.

A run of 16 unanswered points helped them move 95-71 ahead at the end of the third quarter and they coasted to a comfortable victory.