The 2016 NBA Finals featuring LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors remains in the memories of NBA fans today.
It is historic for many reasons. The main one was James and the Cavaliers’ valiant comeback after trailing 3-1 in the series. This resulted in Cleveland winning their first-ever championship in franchise history and granted James his promise of bringing a title to his hometown.
James looked back on the 2016 NBA Finals on a May 29 episode of his “Mind The Game” podcast. It was there where he made a surprising admission about the difference in quality between the Cavaliers and Warriors.
“Once what happened in Game 5 happened, my guys believed that what I was saying was [expletive] coming true,” James said. “Y’all get me back to Game 6, we’ll come back here for Game 7.
“It was like nothing is stopping us. … They were the better team. We hit a momentum pop and there’s nothing they could do about it.”
LeBron James, Cavaliers’ 2016 title remains historic today
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
LeBron James played a monumental role in helping the Cavaliers make NBA history with their unprecedented comeback against the Warriors.
Throughout the seven-game series thriller, James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. The last three games proved to be the most pivotal as he elevated to another level. Froms Game 5 to 7, he produced 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, three steals, and three blocks per contest.
James easily took the NBA Finals MVP Award with his heroic efforts in leading the Cavaliers throughout the comeback. While Golden State boasted more talent as they won an NBA-record 73 regular-season games, Cleveland showed that their opponents were vulnerable. As a result, NBA fans got to bear witness to incredible history when the final buzzer sounded at Oracle Arena in Game 7 as the Cavaliers won 83-79.
James will always look at this NBA title with the Cavaliers with fond memories. While it was his third overall championship, it proved to be his most important to cement his legacy as one who did the impossible.
