CLEVELAND _ For all of his championship successes, LeBron James has still felt the sting of losing.
James was swept in the Finals in 2007 by the San Antonio Spurs, then lost again to the Spurs in five games in 2014. He lost in six games to both the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.
James has never felt the sting of a Game 7 defeat like the Indians did in the World Series. Regardless, losing is losing.
"You never get past the pain," James said. "I still think about and dream about or have nightmares about losing in the Finals. I've lost many times in the Finals, I've won a few as well. But you never get past the pain."
James said he still replays sequences in his mind, such as loose balls, defensive coverages and opportunities to take charges from past series.
"That's probably the worst thing about sports is when you have such an epic game one team has to lose," he said.
"It would have been great for both sides if the game was just called off, 6-6, and both of them get the trophy. Sports is a beautiful thing. It brings so many people together. It can be heartbreaking at times."
James doesn't believe the Tribe's loss should be lumped in with other Cleveland failures such as "The Drive," "The Shot" and "The Fumble."
"I think the Indians' season was a success. Obviously to get all the way there and not be able to come out victorious, it hurts, especially for those guys that have worked so hard all season," he said. "I think we all can agree that the Cubs was the best team all season and they had the most talent all season long.
"It's just different in baseball. Have different guys at the mound each game. It's very different, but they had their chance. You can't say they didn't give it their all. They gave a great shot. Just the Cubs was a better team going down the stretch."
