Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Lore & Background

The Warriors dominated the early series, going 37–22 (.627) from 1970 to 1991. The Cavaliers would win 10 straight games from 1992 to 1996 to reduce Golden State's lead to 37–32 (.536). The two teams played each other close during LeBron James' first stint with the Cavaliers in the 2000s. The 2006–07 season was a memorable season for both teams, as the Warriors qualified for the 8th seed and became the first 8-seeded team to eliminate a 1-seed in a best-of-7 series, as they did in the 2007 first round against the Dallas Mavericks. On the other hand, the Cavaliers reached their first NBA Finals, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. The Cavaliers' playoffs run was highlighted by LeBron James' epic performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the 1-seed Detroit Pistons, with James scoring the Cavaliers' last 25 points, while sending the game to double overtime. Two years later, on January 23, 2009, LeBron James scored a game-winning buzzer beater over the Golden State Warriors, months before Stephen Curry joined the NBA. From 2010 to 2014, James left the Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat went to the Finals each year, winning championships in 2012 and 2013, while the Warriors were a lottery team. The Cavaliers used their first pick in 2011 to draft Kyrie Irving from Duke University. However, the Warriors won both games against the Cavaliers that season with a rookie Klay Thompson and Curry, both of whom were instrumental in the success the Warriors would experience later that decade. The Warriors led the head-to-head series 53–50 (.515) through the end of the 2013–14 season. James returned to the Cavaliers during the 2014 off-season. The Cavaliers then acquired All-Star power forward Kevin Love from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. The Cavaliers quickly became the favorite to win the East, as they already had an All-Star point guard in Kyrie Irving and other rising stars such as Tristan Thompson. In the Western Conference, the Warriors were a team led by their backcourt of the 'Splash Brothers', Curry and Thompson, and a developed fast-paced, up-tempo offense, consisting mainly of three point shooting.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Oracle Arena was thick enough to taste, a mix of sweat, popcorn, and nervous energy. On one side, the sea of yellow jerseys roared as Stephen Curry drained another three-pointer from well beyond the logo, his form a blur of perfection. Across the court, LeBron James wiped his forehead, eyes locked on the rim with the intensity of a predator. The clock ticked down in Game 7 of 2016; the world held its breath. It wasn't just about points anymore; it was about legacy, a collision of two eras where the underdog and the king fought for the soul of the league.

Reader's Guide

The 2014–15 season saw the Warriors win their first NBA title in 40 years. With LeBron James returning to the Cavaliers as a free agent in 2014, the team was favored to make it to the NBA Finals. The team started off the season poorly, with Love struggling in his new role and SG Dion Waiters unable to handle being relegated to a secondary role. The Cavaliers started off the season with a record of 19–20. James missed two weeks in January (which was his longest absence at the time) with back and knee injuries. Later that month, the Cavaliers traded away Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team deal with the New York Knicks. They acquired three-point specialist J. R. Smith and defensive asset Iman Shumpert. The team also acquired center and rim protector Timofey Mozgov in a separate trade. These players were critical for the team's return to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Warriors started off the season 21–2, with a 16-game winning streak, which made them the early title favorites. Stephen Curry immediately became a Most Valuable Player candidate. Curry was improving off of last year's All-Star season. Klay Thompson became one of the best shooting guards, three-point shooters, and two-way players in the league. Draymond Green averaged about 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Rookie head coach Steve Kerr was a candidate for Coach of the Year. The two teams split their head-to-head meetings that season, each winning on its home court. James, Irving, Curry, and Thompson were all named to their respective NBA All-Star teams, with Curry finishing first in the All-Star voting (1,513,324), and LeBron James finishing in second (1,470,483). Curry won the NBA MVP Award, averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, and shot 44.3% from three-point territory. James was third in MVP voting. He averaged 25.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 7.4 APG. They were featured on the All-NBA First Team. Irving and Thompson made the All-NBA team as well. The Cavaliers finished the season with a record of 53–29, and the Warriors finished the season with a record of 67–15. The Warriors and the Cavaliers only lost five games combined in the first three rounds of the playoffs. For the first time in NBA Finals history, both teams were coached by rookie head coaches with Steve Kerr and David Blatt. The Cavaliers faced injury trouble, losing Love in Game 4 of

Did You Know?

• The Warriors and Cavaliers faced each other in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, with the Warriors winning three championships and the Cavaliers winning one.
• In the 2016 NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James both scored 41 points in Game 5, becoming the first pair of teammates to score at least 40 points in a Finals game.
• Stephen Curry became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history during the 2015–16 season.
• The Warriors opened the 2015–16 season with a 24–0 start, the most wins without a loss to start a season in NBA history.