2016 NBA Finals

• 1. Historical Context And Background

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  The 2015, 16 regular season ended with the Golden State Warriors holding a 73, 9 record, shattering the previous single-season win record set by the 1995, 96 Chicago Bulls. Stephen Curry earned his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after averaging 28.4 points per game and leading the league in three-pointers made. The team finished with 1,077 three-point attempts, breaking the prior record of 933 set by the Houston Rockets. Head coach Steve Kerr missed the first 43 games due to back surgery while assistant Luke Walton guided them to a 39, 4 start. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's top seed with a 57, 25 record. They had fired head coach David Blatt on the 22nd of January 2016, citing a lack of fit between personnel and vision. General Manager David Griffin promoted Tyronn Lue to replace him. LeBron James advanced to his sixth straight Finals appearance, the most for any player not part of the 1960s Boston Celtics dynasty. The Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks before defeating the Toronto Raptors in six games to reach their second consecutive championship series.

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• 2. The Game Seven Drama

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  Game 7 took place on June 19 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The final score was 93, 89, making it the closest margin of victory in the entire seven-game series. The game featured 20 lead changes and 11 ties throughout its duration. At halftime, the Warriors led 49, 42 but failed to score during the last 4 minutes and 39 seconds of play. With 1 minute and 50 seconds remaining, the score stood tied at 89 points when Andre Iguodala attempted a layup that became known as The Block. LeBron James chased down the shot from behind and rejected it over the rim. Mike Breen called the moment live: It's just another example of how he's just not going to let them lose tonight. After the block, Kyrie Irving hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 53 seconds left to put Cleveland ahead 92, 89. Stephen Curry received his sixth foul four minutes earlier and fouled out of the game after throwing his mouthpiece into the stands. He became the first MVP to be ejected from an NBA Finals game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. Draymond Green finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists for Golden State while LeBron James recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds.

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• 3. LeBron James Historic Performance

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  LeBron James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks across all seven games of the series. He became the first player in NBA history to lead all players in every major statistical category during a playoff series. His performance earned him unanimous selection as the Finals Most Valuable Player. This marked only the fifth time any player had won the award three times or more. During Game 5, James scored 41 points alongside teammate Kyrie Irving who also posted 41 points. They were the first teammates in Finals history to each score 40 or more points in the same game. In Game 6, James delivered another historic effort with 41 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks while committing just one turnover. He scored 18 straight points from the end of the third quarter through the seven-minute mark of the fourth period. James became the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to record consecutive 40-point games in the Finals. His total output included leading both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for the entire series.

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• 4. The Block And Key Moments

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  On June 19 at 1:50 remaining in Game 7, LeBron James chased down Andre Iguodala's layup attempt and blocked it over the rim. The play occurred when the score was tied at 89 points. James later told ESPN that he said to himself: Iguodala is a bad motherfucker! I had to go chase it down. He added that his thought process involved telling J.R. Smith not to foul him because he knew he could get the ball before it hit the backboard. Mike Breen described the moment as proof that James would never allow his team to lose. Nicki Minaj referenced the block in her song Do You Mind by DJ Khaled with lyrics stating Any baller tryna score check them shot clocks But I hit 'em with them Bron Iguodala blocks. In Game 3, Cleveland routed Golden State 120, 90 after trailing early. Kyrie Irving scored 30 points while LeBron James led all scorers with 32 points. During Game 4, Draymond Green fell to the ground and stepped over LeBron James which led to an altercation where Green swung his arm and appeared to make contact with James' groin area. Green received a Flagrant Foul 1 suspension for Game 5 becoming the first player suspended from playing in an NBA Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006.

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• 5. Post-Series Roster Changes

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  After losing Game 7 on June 19, Draymond Green called general manager Bob Myers immediately to urge signing Kevin Durant. Two weeks later Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors forming what became known as a superteam. The Cavaliers and Warriors met again in the following two NBA Finals making it the first time any North American major professional sports league saw the same two teams compete four years consecutively. Golden State defeated Cleveland in five games during the 2017 series and swept them in four games during 2018. Durant won Finals MVP honors both times. LeBron James left Cleveland in the 2018 offseason to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers leading them to a title in 2020 while winning Finals MVP that year. J.R. Smith joined the Lakers as a bench player alongside James. Despite their earlier conflict over Green's suspension in Game 5, James and Green developed friendships off court after 2016. In 2019 Green signed with Klutch Sports represented by Rich Paul who is James' best friend and agent. Green admitted years later that his suspension cost the Warriors the championship.

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• 6. Cultural Impact And Legacy

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  The Cavaliers won their first franchise championship ending a 52-year drought for professional sports titles in Cleveland. Their last victory occurred when the 1964 Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game. This win also ended a 26-year drought for the state of Ohio whose previous championship came when the 1990 Cincinnati Reds beat the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. The game drew 31.02 million American viewers making it the most watched Game 7 in NBA history. It received the 2016 ESPY award for Best Game on July 13. The series marked the first time an NBA Finals went to seven games under the 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 format since its reinstatement in 2014. No other Game 7 would occur until 2025. The Cavaliers became the first road team to win a Finals Game 7 since the 1978 Washington Bullets. They were also the first champions to clinch all playoff series away from home since the 1999 San Antonio Spurs. As of 2025 this remains the only major sports championship won by an Ohio-based team in the 21st century not claimed by the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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