2015-16 NBA Finals

Result

Games

Finals MVP

LeBron James. James was named Finals MVP unanimously after leading Cleveland's comeback from a 3-1 deficit, the first time that had happened in NBA Finals history, leading all players on both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for the series.

Series context

The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors entered the Finals having just shattered the NBA's single-season wins record, finishing 73-9 to surpass the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' mark of 72-10. Led by reigning back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry, along with Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala, Golden State was the defending champion and heavy favorite. Cleveland, led by LeBron James in his second season back with the Cavaliers after returning from Miami, along with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, had reached the Finals for a second straight year under head coach Tyronn Lue, who had taken over midseason from David Blatt. The series began with the Warriors taking control, winning Games 1 and 2 in Oakland. Cleveland responded to win Game 3 at home, but Golden State took Game 4 to go up 3-1, a deficit from which no team had ever come back to win an NBA Finals. Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 following an incident with LeBron James in Game 4, and Cleveland used that opening to dominate, winning Game 5 behind big scoring nights from James and Irving. The Cavaliers then won Game 6 at home to force a decisive Game 7 in Oakland, becoming the first team in Finals history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1. Game 7, played on June 19, 2016, was tied at 89-89 in the final minutes when James delivered a signature defensive play that became known simply as 'The Block,' a full-court chase-down rejection of Andre Iguodala's fast-break layup attempt. Moments later, with the shot clock winding down, Kyrie Irving hit a step-back three-pointer over Stephen Curry with 53 seconds remaining to give Cleveland a 92-89 lead. The Cavaliers held on to win 93-89, securing the franchise's first NBA championship and ending a 52-year championship drought for the city of Cleveland across all major professional sports. The series is widely regarded as one of the greatest in NBA history and cemented LeBron James's legacy, as he became the first player to lead both teams in the five major statistical categories across a Finals series. It also marked the start of an era in which Cleveland and Golden State would meet in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 through 2018, with Golden State's front office reshaping its roster (by signing Kevin Durant) in direct response to this loss. James capped the series with a Game 7 triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, becoming just the third player in history to post a triple-double in a Finals Game 7, and was a unanimous choice for Finals MVP. Entering Game 7, both teams had scored an identical 610 total points through the first six games, underscoring how evenly matched the series had been despite Golden State's regular-season dominance. The Cavaliers' comeback also made them the first road team to win a Finals Game 7 since 1978. Game 7 itself drew more than 30 million viewers on ABC, the most-watched Game 7 in NBA history at the time, reflecting the national interest in whether Golden State's historic 73-win season would be validated with a title or whether Cleveland could end the city's 52-year wait for a major professional sports championship.

Sources

• Wikipedia - 2016 NBA Finals
• Basketball-Reference - 2016 NBA Finals
• Deadline - NBA Finals Game 7 Most Watched Game Ever On ABC