NBA Champions ·
2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the 73-win Warriors in 2016, the only team to do that in Finals history. LeBron James led both clubs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for the series and won Finals MVP. The title ended a 52-year championship drought for the city.
James came home to Cleveland in 2014, and by 2016 the Cavaliers had built around him. They went 57-25, fired coach David Blatt in midseason, and promoted Tyronn Lue. Kyrie Irving ran the backcourt and Kevin Love stretched the floor from the front line.
The Warriors had just gone 73-9, the best regular season ever, and led the Finals 3-1. No team had come back from that in a Finals before. Cleveland won Game 5 in Oakland with James and Irving each scoring 41, then took Game 6 at home, then went back for Game 7.
The final game turned on two plays in the last minutes. James chased down Andre Iguodala and blocked a layup at the rim. Irving then hit a contested three over Stephen Curry to give Cleveland the lead. James led both teams in all five major statistical categories for the series and won Finals MVP.
The title was the first for any Cleveland major sports team since the Browns won the NFL championship in 1964. James had promised to deliver one when he returned, and he did.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Kyrie Irving | PG | 87 |
| J.R. Smith | SG | 75 |
| LeBron James | SF | 98 |
| Kevin Love | PF | 82 |
| Tristan Thompson | C | 76 |
| Richard Jefferson | 6th man | 73 |
| Tyronn Lue | Coach | 82 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Dellavedova | G | |
| Iman Shumpert | G | |
| Channing Frye | F/C | stretch big added midseason |
| Timofey Mozgov | C | |
| Mo Williams | G | |
| James Jones | G/F |