It shouldn't have happened. Honestly, if you look at the math, the 2016 NBA championship series was over after Game 4. No team had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Ever. The Golden State Warriors weren't just some lucky squad; they were a 73-win juggernaut that had literally redefined how basketball was played. They had the first unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry. They had home-court advantage. They had the momentum.
Then LeBron James and Kyrie Irving decided to break the script.
People forget how heavy the atmosphere felt in Cleveland back then. The "Curse" was a real thing—a 52-year drought that hung over the city like a permanent cloud. When the Warriors took that 3-1 lead, it felt like just another chapter in a long history of Cleveland heartbreak. But the 2016 NBA championship series turned into something visceral, a seven-game war that moved from tactical basketball to a pure test of will. It’s the kind of series where you remember exactly where you were when "The Block" happened.
The 73-9 problem and the Draymond Green shift
The Warriors entered the Finals as the heavy favorites, and for good reason. They had surpassed the '96 Bulls' regular-season record. They were deeper, faster, and seemed to have a psychological edge. In the first two games at Oracle Arena, the Cavaliers didn't just lose; they were embarrassed. They lost by 15 in Game 1 and a staggering 33 in Game 2.
The narrative was simple: Cleveland couldn't keep up with the "Death Lineup."
But things got weird in Game 4. With under three minutes left, Draymond Green and LeBron James got tangled up. LeBron stepped over Green, Green swung his arm and made contact with LeBron's groin, and the league offices in Secaucus became the most important place in the sports world. The resulting Flagrant 1 foul triggered an automatic one-game suspension for Green due to accumulated playoff points.
Was it a "natural basketball motion"? Probably not. Was it a turning point? Absolutely.
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Without Green—the defensive heartbeat and primary playmaker of the Warriors—the door cracked open just an inch for Game 5. You can't overstate how much that absence messed with the Warriors' rhythm. They lost their defensive anchor, and LeBron and Kyrie sensed blood in the water.
Two guys, 41 points each, and a shift in physics
Game 5 was where the 2016 NBA championship series shifted from a blowout to a legend. LeBron and Kyrie Irving both dropped 41 points. Just think about that. Two teammates, on the road, facing elimination against a 73-win team, both scoring over 40. It was the first time it had ever happened in Finals history.
Kyrie was hitting shots that didn't make sense. He was finishing over Andrew Bogut—who unfortunately suffered a season-ending knee injury in that same game—and weaving through the Warriors' defense like it was a practice run. LeBron, meanwhile, was playing "point-center," controlling every single possession.
The Warriors' defense, usually so disciplined, started to look human.
By the time the series headed back to Cleveland for Game 6, the pressure had completely flipped. The Warriors were the ones looking over their shoulders. LeBron put up another 41-point masterpiece in Game 6, and Steph Curry ended up throwing his mouthpiece into the stands after fouling out. The frustration was bubbling over. The unbeatable team was suddenly one game away from the biggest collapse in sports history.
Game 7: The ugly, beautiful mess
Game 7 of the 2016 NBA championship series wasn't pretty basketball. It was a slugfest. Both teams were exhausted, the shots weren't falling, and every single possession felt like it lasted ten minutes. The score was stuck at 89-89 for nearly four minutes of game time in the fourth quarter.
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Then came the two plays that will be played in every NBA highlight reel until the end of time.
The Block
Andre Iguodala had a clear path for a layup on a fast break. Out of nowhere, LeBron James covered roughly 60 feet in what felt like two seconds to pin the ball against the glass. It wasn't just a defensive play; it was a statement of ownership. Sports scientists later calculated that LeBron reached a top speed of over 20 miles per hour just to get there.
The Shot
With under a minute left, Kyrie Irving was isolated on Stephen Curry. No screen. No fancy play-calling. Just Kyrie. He stepped back, launched a high-arcing three, and silence fell over Oracle Arena.
Cleveland won 93-89. LeBron fell to the floor, weeping. He had finally delivered on the promise he made when he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014.
Why we still talk about this a decade later
There are plenty of great Finals series. The 2013 Spurs-Heat series was technically incredible. The 1998 Bulls finale was iconic. But the 2016 NBA championship series holds a different weight because of the stakes involved for everyone.
- For LeBron James: It solidified his "GOAT" candidacy. He led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for the entire series. That is a statistical anomaly that shouldn't be possible.
- For the Warriors: It changed the course of NBA history. If they win that series, do they still go after Kevin Durant? Many insiders, including Draymond Green himself, have admitted that the loss in 2016 was the primary reason they were able to recruit KD.
- For the City of Cleveland: It broke a generational trauma.
Some people argue that the Draymond suspension "tainted" the result. It's a common take. They say if Draymond plays Game 5, the Warriors win in five and the LeBron legacy looks much different. Others point to Bogut’s injury or Steph Curry’s MCL sprain from earlier in the playoffs as the real reasons.
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But that’s the beauty of sports. You play who is in front of you. The Cavs were down 3-1, and they had to win two games in one of the loudest arenas in the world. They did it.
Lessons from the greatest comeback in basketball
The 2016 NBA championship series isn't just a trivia answer; it's a blueprint for handling high-pressure situations. If you're looking to apply the "2016 Cavs mindset" to your own life or business, here are the actionable takeaways:
1. Don't let a bad start dictate the finish. The Cavs were blown out twice. They looked outclassed. Instead of folding, they focused on incremental adjustments—specifically targeting Steph Curry on switches to tire him out. In your own projects, look for the "switch" you can exploit when things aren't going your way.
2. Stars have to be stars. In Games 5, 6, and 7, LeBron and Kyrie stopped deferring. They took over. There is a time for "team play," and there is a time to trust your best people to do what they are paid to do.
3. Psychology is as important as strategy. By Game 6, the Warriors were rattled. Cleveland didn't just play better; they played harder and more physically. They made the Warriors uncomfortable. When you're the underdog, you have to change the "vibe" of the competition to make the favorite question themselves.
If you want to truly understand the depth of this series, go back and watch the "raw" footage of Game 7 without the commentary. Watch the body language of the players during that four-minute scoring drought. It shows you that at the highest level of human achievement, it’s rarely about who has the better jump shot—it’s about who can stay calm when the world is watching.
To dive deeper into the tactical side of this series, look up "Cleveland's hunting of Steph Curry" on coaching breakdown sites. It’s a masterclass in how to use an opponent's greatest strength (Curry’s gravity) against them by forcing him to defend on every single possession.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the "30 for 30" style documentaries that focus on the Cleveland sports curse to understand the emotional stakes.
- Review the Game 7 shot charts to see how the Warriors' offense completely collapsed in the final five minutes, moving away from their ball-movement identity into stagnant isolation play.
- Compare the 2016 roster construction to the current NBA "Small Ball" era to see how much the league changed immediately following this series.