Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals remains the crown jewel in franchise history.
Once the Cavs had secured the championship against the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a conservation that they revisited on “The ETCs with Kevin Durant.”
“It was this whole narrative of like, ‘You called Kevin crying from the parking lot,’” said Green. “I’m like, ‘Yo, this s— — y’all added a theatrical sense to make this s— a movie. You gotta make s— for TV, you gotta add on a little.”
“I know,” responded Durant.
“So people just started pouring on bro,” said Green. “But I wasn’t about to come out and fight it, at the end of the day. However y’all think Kevin got here in your mind, roll with that s— if that helps you out”
In 2015, the Warriors had beaten the Cavs in the Finals, and they looked poised to repeat the feat in ’16.
After taking a 3-1 lead, the Warriors pulled one of the more epic choke jobs in championship series history, losing the next two games in blowout fashion, then blowing Game 7 at home.
In the previous series, Golden State had overcome a 3-1 deficit themselves against Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sensing a prime opportunity to reload, the Warriors signed Durant that summer as a free agent to form a superteam.
Unfortunately, it preventing the Cavs from building on their shining moment, as they got rolled in the Finals by Golden State in each of the next two years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have successfully climbed out of an 0-2 hole against the Detroit Pistons…
The Cleveland Cavaliers still have a legitimate chance to make the 2026 NBA Finals, but…
The Cleveland Cavaliers failed to steal a game from the Detroit Pistons on the road…
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in an 0-2 hole in their second-round series against the Detroit…
Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell wasn’t happy with the lack of foul calls that he…
The Cleveland Cavaliers got the job done in Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors on…