The Cavaliers did the seemingly impossible Sunday night—they conquered the defending champion Golden State Warriors in Game Seven of the NBA Finals after trailing 3-1 in the series. Until now, no team had ever come back from such a deficit.
So, how did Cleveland do it? How did the Cavaliers take down the two-time defending MVP Stephen Curry and his Warriors? Two names come to mind: Lebron James and Kyrie Irving. The duo dominated the series both offensively and defensively.
James, the unanimous Finals MVP, notched a triple-double in Game Seven. Irving’s stellar play throughout the series held Curry in check on both ends of the floor as the MVP struggled from the field and could not consistently contain the scoring of the Cavs’ guard.
The win also marks the first championship for a Cleveland major league sports team in over 50 years. Many believed that Lebron returning to his hometown area—he’s originally from Akron—would be the best chance in the foreseeable future for Cleveland to earn a title.
Well, those people were right. Lebron and Kyrie rose to the occasion, dominated the biggest stage and are now bringing home a championship to the masses of title-deprived Cleveland fans, the majority of which were not alive during the previous Cleveland championship.
Now, after losing hold of a commanding 3-1 lead in the Finals, uncertainty looms for the Warriors’ offseason. Harrison Barnes will likely leave the team, as he underperformed in the Finals and has not yet performed in accordance with his max contract.
In contrast, rumors about who might take his place are running rampant. Will Golden State attempt to pick up the headliner of this free agent class, Kevin Durant? Will the team attempt to bring in a more offensively-minded center to compliment Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli?
While these questions marre next season’s image of the Warriors, there are questions around the Cavaliers. Kevin Love often seems out of place and not in sync with his teammates and the system that the Cavaliers employed after Tyronn Lue became head coach.
Love, an All-Star, obviously has ability, strength and size. But, if his style of play simply does not fit with the rest of the Cavs, it would make sense for a move to be made by Cleveland.
This NBA season was one of the most enjoyable seasons in the past decade. The Warriors would have liked to call themselves back-to-back champions, but the team’s impact on the game will be felt for many years to come. A team that broke records, defied odds and re-originated the way basketball is played at the professional level fell just short in the end to one of the greatest players of this generation and to an incredibly talented rising star. A repeat is likely for this dynamic duo.
But the Warriors won 73 games after winning a championship. Now that they have the taste of an NBA Finals collapse in their mouth, the 2016-17 season ought to be fun.