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Nancy ArmourCleveland, U.S. (AP) - Imagine being 22, and having to carry a franchise. Now imagine being 22, and having to carry the hopes and dreams of an entire city. A city that's known nothing in sports but heartbreak for two generations. A city so starved for something good its most memorable events are somebody else's triumphs.A city just up the highway from where you grew up, making those disappointments all the more personal. Imagine that kind of pressure. Most athletes would crumble under a fraction of the weight. LeBron James, though, isn't most athletes. Isn't like anybody else, to be honest. All those comparisons to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson? They don't do justice for what this kid from Akron has done for Cleveland and the Cavaliers. "There's been so much hype about him," Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia said. "And he's lived up to every ounce of it." And then some. Only four years removed from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, James has the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the first time in their 37 years. For the first time in a decade, an end to Cleveland's title drought is tantalizingly real, not the blind optimism fans cling to when there's nothing else. Sure, Daniel Gibson came up big and the Cavs played the annoying, smothering defense that's usually Detroit's trademark. But make no mistake, this series _ indeed, these entire playoffs _ were all about James. "This is special. This is special, man," James said, unable to stop smiling after Cleveland's 98-82 victory Saturday night and not even bothering to try.