The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers will go down in history as one of the most iconic teams of all time, and we’re not talking just about the NBA.
Not only were they the first – and so far the only – team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, but they also spoiled the Golden State Warriors’ record-breaking 73-win season.
That’s why, with his iconic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala, LeBron James got one of the top NBA Finals Game 7 moments.
In his column, Brad Crawford of CBS Sports gushed about James’ epic performance:
“With under two minutes to play in the 2016 Finals with the scored knotted at 89-89, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala had a 2-on-1 fastbreak against Cleveland’s J.R. Smith with LeBron James trailing the play. Curry hit Iguodala with a bounce pass in the lane before James skied toward the backboard and pinned the basketball against the glass with his right hand for an incredible block. James finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists during a memorable all-time performance as the Cavaliers erased a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors to win the title,” Crawford wrote.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that James missed multiple shots down the stretch until Kyrie Irving took matters into his own hands and knocked down a dagger three-pointer over Stephen Curry.
But even if the chase-down block took place some time earlier in the game, it’s fair to say that it was the emotional catalyst the team needed to get the win.
That series was a perfect storm for James and the Cavaliers.
From Draymond Green’s suspension to LeBron James’ motivational speeches and whatnot, it ultimately all worked in Tyronn Lue’s team’s favor to make history.
It took him much longer than expected, and it came with countless heartbreak before and after that, but James sealed his fate as the best player in franchise history with that epic performance when the team needed him the most.
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