Sports

LeBron is title ready heading into Game 5

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MIAMI — The words used to describe LeBron James on a basketball court read like the Thesaurus listing for “awesome,” ranging from “amazing” to “un-flipping-believable.”

But if you ask James for the two words to describe him — especially when making a self-comparison from last year’s Finals to now — he will tell you “comfortable” and “mature.”

Blend those two words together and you may come up with a previously unused description of James tonight: “NBA champion.”

In 2007 James acknowledged he was young, inexperienced and clueless about the NBA Finals process as his Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs. Last season, behind the James-led Big Three, the Heat were expected to roll over Dallas and start fulfilling that silly promise of “Not one, not two, not three, not…” titles in Miami. Oops. The 2011 finals ended in bitter disappointment with an even more bitter James lashing out at his critics.

“Last year after Game 6, after losing once again, I was very frustrated. I was very hurt that I let my teammates down, and I was very immature,” James said yesterday after prepping for tonight’s Game 5 when the Heat, up 3-1, can eliminate the Thunder.

“Last year, I played to prove people wrong instead of just playing my game, instead of just going out and having fun and playing a game I grew up loving,” James added. “So I was very immature last year after Game 6.”

That was when James made his regrettable remarks about “all the people that was rooting on me to fail, they gotta wake up tomorrow and have the same life they had before they woke up today.”

We’ll take “Famous Athletes Foot-In-Mouth” for $500, Alex.

“Someone taught me this, the greatest teacher you can have in life is experience,” James said. “I’ve experienced some things in my long but short career, and I’m able to make it better of myself … on and off the court.”

So maybe it was learning through failure. Maybe it was simply gaining more confidence through his never-questioned work ethic. The Heat needed more post presence, so James worked in the offseason with Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston. Whatever, James said he is at peace. Teammates see it.

“You have to realize he’s been through a lot, he’s been through a helluva lot, these past two years and that makes you stronger,” said Chris Bosh.

“He turned his attention to, ‘What can I do to help the team get back here again?’ ” said Udonis Haslem. “We didn’t get it done last year and it wasn’t fair to throw it all on his shoulders. The Miami Heat as a team didn’t get it done.”

Yeah, but James was such an easy target after the ill-advised “The Decision.” But he is only driven to win, to get that ring, and he is one game away. James put on a remarkable performance Tuesday — though he may never top his scintillating 45-point show in Game 6 against Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. Hobbled by cramps Tuesday night, James stuck the Game 4’s decisive 3-pointer.

“I said before the series, I wanted to make game-‑changing plays because that’s who I am, and that’s what separates me from a lot of players,” James said.

But history won’t judge him on conference finals wins. Or 3-1 leads.

“Whether we like it or not, that’s the way we value our icons in this society,” said Shane Battier. “It’s how many Oscars have you won, how many Nobel Peace Prizes have you won. … If you want to be remembered as one of the greatest, you need it.”

Fine, said James.

“I’m just more comfortable,” he said. “This is my third crack at it. I’m blessed because a lot of people, first of all, never go to the finals. Second of all, if they go, they never go back. So I’m just trying to make the most of it. And like I said, win, lose or draw, I’m giving my all, and I’m going to be happy. I’ll be satisfied with that.”

fred.kerber@nypost.com