Five Moments That Shaped The Cavs Title Run

After 45 years of trying, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached basketball’s promised land. The Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors to win their first NBA Championship in franchise history, and in the process they made history as they became the first team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals which included winning two of those games on the road. The Cavs did the impossible as they knocked off a Warriors team that set an NBA single-season for wins with 73, and they did it with heart and determination. The Cavaliers title run makes everything come full circle for small forward LeBron James who after spending the first seven years of his NBA career in Cleveland, took his talents to South Beach in 2010 to join the Miami Heat. In four years with the Heat, James won two NBA Championships, but he decided to return to the Cavs in 2014 and he has now delivered the title that the folks in Cleveland were seeking. And as the Cavaliers won the first title for the City of Cleveland in over 50 years, here are five events that shaped their title run.

Losing the NBA Finals last year

When James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014, it immediately changed how people looked at the team. In four years without James, the Cavs never won more than 33 games in a season, but they had to learn how to win in a hurry with James.

The Cavaliers went 53-29 en route to advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time 2007. But once Cleveland reached the NBA Finals, they were the walking wounded as they had lost power forward Kevin Love to a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs, while point guard Kyrie Irving sustained a fractured kneecap in Game 1 of the finals.

James tried to put the Cavaliers on his back, but the Golden State Warriors were clicking on all cylinders. And after having to watch the Warriors celebrate winning the NBA Championship at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland last June, the Cavs weren’t thrilled.

Tyronn Lue replacing David Blatt as Cavaliers head coach

When James returned to Cleveland, he knew exactly what he was getting into. The Cavaliers had recently hired David Blatt to be their head coach in spite of the fact that he didn’t have any prior experience in the NBA. And there would be a power struggle between James and Blatt in spite of the success that the team was having.

Upon returning to Cleveland, James would lose his first game as the Cavs lost at home to the New York Knicks. This immediately prompted Blatt to call a team meeting which wasn’t good for business. During Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cavaliers found themselves tied at 84 late in the contest against the Chicago Bulls. With Cleveland already down 2-1 in the series and going down 3-1 a distinct possibility, Blatt called a play in the huddle that called for James to be the inbound passer. James immediately scrapped those plans, and instead he took the final shot which turned out to be the game winner.

This past NBA season saw the Cavs still as the premier team in Eastern Conference, but Blatt would be fired in spite of the fact that Cleveland was 30-11 on the season under him.

Blatt would be replaced by Cavaliers assistant coach Tyronn Lue who left his imprint on the team by changing around the Cavaliers rotations, and more importantly making James accountable.

During the Cavs 122-101 loss to the Miami Heat on March 19, Cleveland found themselves on the wrong side of a 21-point halftime deficit. Instead of James warming up with his teammates for the second half, he was seen joking around with Heat guard Dwyane Wade which drew the ire of Lue. Lue let James know that actions such as that would not be tolerated from James; especially since he is the leader of the team. And in one instance Lue did what most coaches have failed to do with James which is to hold him accountable.

Acquiring Channing Frye

The Cavs had their key players in James, Irving, and Love, but in order to win an NBA Championship, quality role players are needed. On February 18, the Cavaliers acquired power forward/center Channing Frye from the Orlando Magic. In 10 NBA seasons, Frye has averaged 9.2 points per contests, but he has the ability to stretch the floor due to the fact that he is a 38.5% career shooter from behind the three-point line. Frye only scored 2 points in the NBA Finals, but his contributions were important to the Cavs getting back there and winning it all.

Stephen Curry being the NBA’s first unanimous MVP

It’s hard to believe, but in the 70 years of existence for the NBA, there has never been a unanimous winner of the league’s MVP award until this year. Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry averaged 30.1 points per game this season to earn his second consecutive NBA MVP Award. And when it was announced that Curry was a unanimous winner of the award, James questioned it. James used that to add extra fuel to his fire as he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks during the NBA Finals to be recognized as the MVP of the series as he was a one-man wrecking crew.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals

During Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, frustration began to set in for James as the Cavaliers were well on their way to losing and putting themselves into a 3-1 hole in the series against the Warriors. Late in the game there was an exchange of words between James and Warriors power forward Draymond Green which led to Green calling James a “b—h”. James was infuriated over the matter and later on in the contest, the two players got tangled up with Green kicking James. James received a technical foul while Green was hit with a flagrant. And since it was Green’s fourth flagrant foul of the 2016 NBA Playoffs, he was suspended for Game 5.

With the Warriors looking to close out the Cavaliers at home, they were without the services of Green which made it easier for James to score. In Game 5, James and Irving each went for 41 points to help the Cavs stave off elimination. But the horse was out of the barn at that point as James went for 41 points once again in Game 6 before posting a triple-double in Game 7 to the tune of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists to clinch the series.

The 2016 NBA Finals were extremely exciting, and if the City of Cleveland has to wait another 51 years to witness a championship, they got their money’s worth this time around.