As I watched LeBron James carve up the Golden State Warriors’ defense Monday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, I kept thinking one thing: This is fun.

James finished with 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists to push the series to 3-2 and keep the Cleveland Cavaliers alive for at least one more game, and added 41 more points Thursday to force a Game tonight.

It was an all-time great performance by an all-time great player.

It’s a shame so many people couldn’t enjoy it like I could.

If you don’t enjoy James’ greatness because you don’t enjoy the NBA, I understand (I’m more of a college basketball fan myself).

But if you follow the NBA and can’t sit back and laugh at how absurd James has been for the last 10 years, maybe sports isn’t your thing.

James is the perfect example of the build-them-up-to-tear-them-down aspect in sports.

He was annointed as the next Michael Jordan when most of us were worrying about junior prom.

All he has done in the 15 years since is lived up to those expectations, if not surpassed them.

His biggest sin in his professional life was a hokey television special to announce his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami.

He hasn’t cheated on his wife, like Kobe allegedly did.

He doesn’t have a gambling problem, like Jordan allegedly did.

He just plays basketball, and he’s one of the five best players to do it in the history of the sport.

He might not be the best general manager in the NBA, giving the team his blessing to trade No. 1 overall pick and future all-star Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for forward Kevin Love, who has struggled mightily alongside James at times.

But James’ struggles in the front office are a testament to his greatness on the court.

A billion-dollar franchise has given him a real voice at the table because they don’t want to risk upsetting him,

No other player has that power.

James and the Cavaliers could still lose tonight, dropping his NBA Finals record will drop to 2-5.

Never mind that he is the first player since Bill Russell in 1966 to appear in five consecutive NBA Finals.

Never mind that this Cleveland team wouldn’t have won two playoff series without James at the helm, or that James is having one of the best NBA Finals in history.

James isn’t perfect, and that’s all some people need to pile on.

I’m not telling you to not be like those people.

But you’ll have more fun if you sit back and enjoy the show, because this edition doesn’t come along very often.