Cleveland: City of Champions
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended a 52-year professional sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland by beating the Golden State Warriors 93–89 in Game 7, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit.
So how did Cleveland do it? How did they dethrone a) The defending champs and b) The best regular season team in the history of the game? Quite simply, by letting the best do his best.
LeBron James as King of the NBA
He got his hometown title. James averaged 29.7 points, 8.9 assists and 11.3 rebounds per game, put up back-to-back 41-point games in Game 5 and 6 and finished the series with a triple-double (27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists). If there was any question who is the best player in the league, that conversation can end now: LeBron James is the King of the NBA.
The numbers are in the previous paragraph. The importance of this title to LeBron has been written about (most notable here and here). So with the entire city (and the world) watching, LeBron did what nobody else could do, on both ends of the floor.
LeBron is on another level! #NBAFinals https://t.co/TzTkzwPyld
— NBA (@NBA) June 20, 2016
James dominated the final three games of this series to win his third NBA Championship. The emotion that swept over James (J.R. Smith’s postgame presser was also incredible) was stuff for the history books.
Before the series, I took the Warriors. When they were up 3–1, I took them. In Game 7, I still predicted Golden State. But like so many times before, LeBron asserted himself to his rightful throne. And this time, it came with an NBA Championship for Cleveland.
Warriors’ offensive arsenal falters
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined to shoot 6-for-24 from three-point range in Game 7. At home. While the Warriors had a historic regular season, it all came down to Sunday night. And the Splash Brothers failed (Of note: Curry and Thompson shot 36 percent from three in games five through seven). Almost as significant as their woes from beyond-the-arc, the two combined for a single free throw attempt, a make from Curry. Give credit to Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson for hedging hard on Curry, something that stayed consistent throughout the series.
The bench didn’t come through for Steve Kerr and company either, as the only positive plus-minus players were Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights (HINT: Nobody in the starting lineup).
Draymond Green recorded a quietly outstanding night with 32 points (6-of-8 from three), 15 rebounds and nine assists. While Green took some of the blame for how the series ended (for his actions in Game 5, more specifically), it doesn’t go much further than Curry and Thompson not making their shots.
Kyrie and Love make their presence felt
For the grief both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love received throughout the year, they had their say in Game 7. Both on the offensive end …
… and the defensive end.
This defensive performance by Kevin Love on Steph Curry was as important as any play in the game pic.twitter.com/HCydWHyt5Q
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 20, 2016
The Cavaliers do not have the title without the efforts in Game 7 from Irving and Love. That much is true. Even though Love didn’t hit a three-pointer in Game 7, that defense on Curry will be replayed for years. The two-time MVP versus the oft-mentioned trade bait. And Love came out on top.
Irving averaged 27 points and shot 40.5 percent from three-point range, none bigger than the go-ahead triple with under a minute to play. Kevin Love hauled in 14 rebounds (four offensive) and provided needed effort on the boards with Andrew Bogut out for the Warriors and Draymond Green getting his on offense.
History was made in the 2016 NBA Finals. Cleveland has a title. And LeBron has fulfilled what he sought out to do: Bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Ohio.
