Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
A rivalry that defined the NBA's mid-to-late 2010s, featuring four straight Finals matchups.
The Cavaliers–Warriors rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The rivalry became prominent in the mid-to-late 2010s, with the two teams facing each other in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. In the four Finals, the Warriors won three championships and the Cavaliers won one.
Quick Facts
- Era of dominance
- 2015-2018
- Total finals meetings
- 4 (Consecutive)
- Key warriors figure
- Stephen Curry
- Key cavaliers figure
- LeBron James
- Warriors finals wins
- 3
- Cavaliers finals wins
- 1
Lore & Background
The Warriors led the head-to-head series 53–50 through the end of the 2013–14 season. The two teams split their head-to-head meetings in the 2014–15 season, each winning on its home court. In the 2015–16 season, the Warriors had a pair of regular season victories against Cleveland.
Reader's Guide
The rivalry is defined by the four consecutive NBA Finals meetings from 2015 to 2018. The Warriors won the 2015, 2017, and 2018 championships; the Cavaliers won the 2016 championship. Key players include Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green for the Warriors, and LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love for the Cavaliers.
Did You Know?
- The Warriors broke the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls' 72–10 season record by winning 73 games in 2015–16.
- Stephen Curry became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history in 2016.
- In Game 5 of the 2016 Finals, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James both scored 41 points, becoming the first pair of teammates to score at least 40 points in a Finals game.
- Andre Iguodala won the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, although LeBron James averaged 35.8 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 8.8 APG in a losing effort.
More in Great Rivalries
Elsewhere in Golden State Warriors
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced