MIAMI: Miami Heat forward LeBron James was named the most valuable player (MVP) in the National Basketball Association finals on Thursday.

James, who was also named MVP during the regular season, led the Heat to a 4-1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the best-of-seven championship series. - Reuters

Here is a list of NBA Finals MVPs:

2012 - LeBron James, Miami Heat

2011 - Dirk Nowitzki , Dallas Mavericks

2010 - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2009 - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2008 - Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

2007 - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

2006 - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

2005 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2004 - Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons

2003 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2002 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

2001 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

2000 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1999 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

1998 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1997 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1996 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1995 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1994 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1993 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1992 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1991 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1990 - Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons

1989 - Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons

1988 - James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers

1987 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1986 - Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1985 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers

1984 - Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1983 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers

1982 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1981 - Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics

1980 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1979 - Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics

1978 - Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets

1977 - Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers

1976 - Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics

1975 - Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors

1974 - John Havlicek, Boston Celtics

1973 - Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1972 - Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers

1971 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks

1970 - Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1969 - Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers

Profile of NBA finals MVP LeBron James

* Born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio (age 27)

* Height: six feet eight inches (2.03 metres), 250 lbs (113 kilograms)

* Drafted first overall by Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003

* Named NBA rookie of the year in 2004

* Eight-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)

* NBA scoring champion in 2008, making him the first Cavalier to lead the league in scoring

* Won Olympic gold medal with United States at 2008 Beijing Olympics and bronze medal at 2004 Athens Olympics

* Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player (2009, 2010, 2012)

* James is one of just eight players to have won the MVP award at least three times. The others are: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone.

* Won his first NBA Championship with Miami in 2012 after previously losing in the final with Cleveland (2007) and Miami (2011)

Miami Heat clinches NBA Championship

The Miami Heat demolished the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 on Thursday to win the National Basketball Association championship 4-1, sweeping the last four games of the series.

LeBron James led an outstanding team effort with a brilliant all-round game, grabbing a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a game-high 13 assists.

Six Heat players scored in double figures, including Chris Bosh with 24 and reserve Mike Miller with 23, who went 7-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc in a spectacular shooting display for the Heat.

Miami pulled away in the third quarter when they ran off 16 points in a row to build a 25-point lead and send the raucous standing-room AmericanAirlines Arena crowd into an early celebration.

It was Miami's second NBA title following a 2006 triumph and the first for three-times league Most Valuable Player James, who finally realized his dream of winning a championship ring in his third trip to an NBA Finals.

Three-times NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant led the young Thunder team with 32 points with Russell Westbrook and James Harden adding 19 points for the losers.- Reuters

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