LeBron shared why he brought his Miami championship rings to Cleveland to motivate teammates: "Those rings are what we're chasing"

The moment had finally returned. For the first time in 5 years, a Cleveland Cavaliers playoff game energized the atmosphere. It had been 6 days since LeBron James capped off the regular season with a ho-hum triple-double against the Detroit Pistons. During the few rest days the Cavs had before their first-round date against the Boston Celtics, James' preparation was perhaps unlike anything he's gotten ready for in his career. And just to make sure his teammates were following his intensity, he tried something rather unique.

"It was just a little inspiration," James told ESPN.com in 2015 . "And just so they can get a visual; you know, it's almost like the difference between reading a book and reading a pop-up book. As great as [regular] books are, sometimes guys need visuals. And for me to have a visual for these guys to know exactly what we're chasing --- because we don't actually get the gold trophy, we don't get that, the team gets that. I mean, I've felt it for a little bit and then I've never had it -- so, those rings are what we're chasing and hopefully we can do it."

The mission was simple but complex: win an NBA championship. In order to maximize his teammates' approach, LeBron showed off his two rings that he won in his 4 years with the Miami Heat. He wanted each Cavs player to see the rings up-close-and-personal to light that fire underneath them.

So, you want one of these? Well, then help me go win one. The journey begins... now.

Miami Heat culture ingrained in the King

James always prided himself on being a highly capable leader. But this time, No. 23 had an entirely different mental makeup as Cleveland's 2015 postseason tipped off. Winning two titles and going to four NBA Finals from 2011-2014 taught James that (1) going to the championship game is grueling and winning titles is darn tricky. However, with the young 23-year-old Kyrie Irving under his wing and the relatively inexperienced Kevin Love playing third-fiddle, LeBron's leadership would be tested.

A run for the ages

In case you haven't heard by now, LeBron James was unfathomable during Cleveland's title pursuit in his first season back. His final counting numbers through 20 postseason games: 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks. For just the second time in his then 12-year career, the Akron native attempted over 500 shots throughout the postseason. That number was 42 shots more than any of his Miami postseasons and 145 more than his highest volume postseason during his first Cavs stint (2006-07).

James' workload reached astronomical levels. But it may have erupted his most sparkling form from the fans' perspective. He was more Michael than Magic, more Kobe than Bird, and it was stunning to watch.

"You guys can see I'm not getting much sleep right now," LeBron said . "It's been a difficult challenge, a tough challenge, but I knew that. Being the sole leader of a team and a franchise, it's taxing."

Ultimately, the Cavaliers fell two wins shy of the Larry O'Brien trophy — and James fell short of delivering his promise the same year he returned home. After a marvelous playoff run — one where he broke the record for most points in three straight Finals games — the four-time MVP was going home for now, but the season was just a building block in the bigger picture.

"[I] put my body through a lot, you know, but it's the price for your body feeling this way for winning," James cracked . "Did I win? I didn't win a championship, but I've done a lot of good things in this first year back, and hopefully, I can continue it."

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