As Oracle Arena rumbles with the chants of defense from the crowd, Kyrie Irving dribbles down the court. He dribbles to the left wing with Klay Thompson guarding him. Kyrie crosses over to his right, able to dribble past Thompson. Stephen Curry is able to roll to the free-throw line and meets Kyrie. Kyrie gathers the ball and takes a hop step into the lane and throws a floater over the outstretched hand of Draymond Green. The ball floats over the rim, unable to hit the rim as Tristan Thompson attempts to secure the rebound. He tips the ball, and it ends up in the hands of Andre Iguodala. Iguodala quickly transitions up the court and makes a pass to Stephen Curry up the court to his right. Curry recognizes the two-on-one in the fast break with JR Smith as the defender, and without hesitation, he makes a bounce pass back to Iguodala. With a tie game in the NBA Finals and 1:51 left in the 4th quarter, Iguodala goes up for a layup that could put the Warriors ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just in the second year of LeBron James’ return to Cleveland, he was able to bring the team back to the NBA Finals. Lebron started his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2003 and was on the team for seven years. Within those years, he led the team to the finals for the first time in the organization’s history in 2007, but they lost 0-4 to the San Antonio Spurs. He would leave the team with sights towards joining the Miami Heat, where he was able to win three championships. The Cavs would struggle over the next couple of years without LeBron, but were able to make big acquisitions with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. This would ultimately convince LeBron to return to the organization and have the one goal in mind of winning a Championship for Cleveland. This was ofc easier said than done, due to a team dominating the league. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Golden State Warriors were coming off a championship just last season and recorded the greatest NBA season of all time this year. The team had a record of 73-9, cementing them as having the all-time best regular-season record. The team had impactful role players such as Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala. This team also had three all-stars who were all in their prime. Draymond Green, who is known for his defensive plays and playmaking. Klay Thompson is recognized for three point shooting abilities and defensive abilities. Then there is the face of the Golden State Warriors and of late 2010s basketball. At this time, he was the 2015 MVP, unanimously voted 2016 MVP, 2016 scoring champ, and 2015 NBA champion, Stephen Curry. This team and the tools they had around them made them the most dangerous team during that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This final match-up did come with some history, with this same match happening during the 2015 finals, the year before. The Warriors were able to secure their first championship in 40 years by beating the Cavs 4-2. The result created some tension between teams, making people believe the Warriors were due for another championship. Simultaneously, the Cavs feel they have a chip on their shoulder, and even though they lost last year, they still feel confident they can win. The series starts with two easy victories for the Warriors, and the Cavaliers were able to defeat the Warriors in Game 3. In the next game, the Warriors were able to win, putting themselves in more than a comfortable position for the championship, being up 3-1. However, the Cavaliers were able to steal game 5 with LeBron and Kyrie putting up historical performances where they were able to score a combined 81 points. That game gave the Cavs motivation heading into the next game in Cleveland to beat the Warriors and force a game seven. This would be the most anticipated Game 7 in NBA history. On one side, there is the Warriors that could cap off the greatest NBA season in history by winning and cementing them as one of the greatest teams of all time. On the other hand, no team has ever made a 3-1 comeback to win the NBA Finals, so not only would a win bring Cleveland its first championship, but it would also be considered the greatest comeback in sports history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The entire game was a competitive battle with both teams going bucket for bucket. Both teams looked like they were giving it their all on the court, with several heated altercations occurring. Then came down to the final minutes of the game with the score tied 89-89, the Cleveland Cavaliers had the ball with Kyrie dribbling down the court. He dribbles past his defender, taking a floater in the lane, but misses, hitting the side of the rim. The ball gets tipped around in the air as both Cav and the Warriors players try to secure it. Andre Iguodala secures and pushes it down the court, passing it ahead to Curry. Curry passes it back, and Iguodala guys up for the layup to put the Warriors ahead\u2014\u201d BLOCKED BY JAMES!\u201d. Announcer Mike Breen’s reaction to LeBron James making an incredible defensive play to prevent the Warriors from taking the lead on a fast break. The play showed the God-given athleticism that Lebron James has, as he is able to get down the court in a matter of seconds to secure his third block. After a timeout, Kyrie gets the ball with Klay Thompson guarding, but JR Smith sets a pick and forces Curry to switch on Kyrie.\u00a0 With Kyrie on him, he sizes him up with a sequence of dribble moves and shoots a three-pointer over him, hitting it. This shot would seal the game for the Cavs, bringing in their first championship in franchise history and cementing them as one of, if not the greatest, finals wins in NBA history.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Oracle Arena rumbles with the chants of defense from the crowd, Kyrie Irving dribbles down the court. He dribbles to the left wing with Klay Thompson guarding him. Kyrie crosses over to his right, able to dribble past Thompson. Stephen Curry is able to roll to the free-throw line and meets Kyrie. Kyrie gathers… <\/p>\n