NBA Finals: LeBron James rues Cleveland Cavaliers injuries

A crestfallen LeBron James was left to rue the absence of key players after his first season back at the Cleveland Cavaliers ended with more NBA play-off agony on Tuesday.

The Golden State Warriors claimed their first NBA championship in 40 years with a 105-97 win over the Cavs, sealing the seven-match series 4-2.

James came close to another triple-double in game six, with the forward tallying 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, but was unable to avoid a fourth defeat in six NBA Finals.

Cleveland lost forward Kevin Love (shoulder) in the first round of the play-offs, then Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured kneecap in game one of the Finals long after Anderson Varejao (Achilles) was sidelined.

The outstanding James - who averaged 35.8 points and 13.3 rebounds in the Finals - felt the loss of such inspirational team-mates proved to be crucial.

He said: "I obviously knew it was going to be a tough task, and I continued to tell you guys we were undermanned.

"I don't know any other team - and I've been watching basketball for a long time; I'm a historian of the game - that's gotten to the Finals without two All-Stars. I cannot even remember thinking of it. I don't know if it's ever happened.

"Losing Andy, one of the heartbeats of our team, another playmaker for our team. Then you lose Kev, an All-Star, and the you lose Kyrie, another All-Star.

"Tried as much as we could to make up for those guys, but that's a lot of talent sitting in suits. I've had a lot of play-off runs, been on both ends, and I know one thing, that you've got to be healthy.

"You've also got to be playing great at the right time. You've got to have a little luck. And we were playing great, but we had no luck and we weren't healthy."

A downbeat James added: "When you fall short, it hurts and it eats at you. And it hurts me to know that I wish I could have done better and done more and just put a little bit more effort or whatever the case may be to help us get over the hump. But it just wasn't our time.

"I always look at it would I rather not make the play-offs or lose in The Finals? I don't know. I don't know.

"I've missed the play-offs twice. I lost in The Finals four times. I'm almost starting to be like I'd rather not even make the play-offs than to lose in the Finals. It would hurt a lot easier if I just didn't make the play-offs and I didn't have a shot at it."