Presented by POOL SCOUTS.
This Day In Sports…June 19, 2016, 10 years ago today:
With LeBron James cementing his legacy, the Cleveland Cavaliers make history with their first NBA title, beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 93-89 in a riveting Game 7. In doing so, the Cavs became the first team ever to come back from a three games-to-one deficit in the Finals. It was also the first major pro sports championship for the city of Cleveland since the Browns won the NFL title in 1964. And still the only one.
The defeat was bitter for Golden State, which had compiled the best regular season record in NBA history at 73-9 and was defending its 2015 championship, the team’s first in 40 years. When the Warriors pinned a 110-77 rout on the Cavaliers to take a two games-to-none lead in the series, it looked to be over already. But Cleveland showed it had fight in Game 3 when they returned the favor with a 120-90 romp. Still, Golden State would take its infamous 3-1 lead by winning 108-97 in Game 4.
With Cleveland imagining a historic comeback, Game 5 turned the tables. The Warriors were missing their defensive stopper, Draymond Green, who was suspended due to an accumulation of flagrant fouls. The Cavs took advantage, with James and Kyrie Irving each pouring in 41 points in a 112-97 win. They were the first duo ever to top 40 points each in an NBA Finals game. Suddenly the unthinkable became thinkable.
Then James dropped another 41 on the Warriors in Game 6, a 105-101 victory to force Game 7. In the clincher, James recorded a monumental block of an Andre Iguodala layup attempt with 1:50 left in the game, thereafter known as “The Block” in Cleveland lore. And Irving drilled the go-ahead three-pointer over Stephen Curry with 53 seconds remaining—on the road in Oakland. A short time later, James was tearfully hugging the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
It was James’ second season back with the Cavaliers after returning from Miami—he had promised Cleveland a title, and he delivered in his second try (Golden State had defeated Cleveland in the 2015 Finals). This time, James outshone Curry, the Warriors’ unanimous NBA MVP, and his “Splash Brother,” Klay Thompson. James was the unanimous Finals MVP, becoming the first player ever to lead the title series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. That was when the G.O.A.T. discussion began in earnest.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
