LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers coming back from a 3-1 deficit against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals will go down as one of the all-time great comeback stories in sports.
The odds were heavily stacked against James and the Cavaliers heading into Game 5. Standing in the way of Cleveland’s first NBA title was a 73-9 Warriors team featuring All-Star players like Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala.
The Cavaliers knew they would have to win three straight games, including two in the intimidating atmosphere of Oracle Arena. They had just suffered a double-digit defeat at home and had been outscored 412-353 over the first four games. On top of that, no team in NBA Finals history had come back from a 3-1 hole to win the title.
Despite the long odds, James never wavered in his belief.
What Did LeBron James Say About the Cavaliers’ Comeback?
By the time the 2016 Finals arrived, James was no stranger to championship pressure. The then-three-time MVP had already appeared in six Finals, winning two of them, and knew what it took to capture the ultimate prize.
On the May 27 episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, James talked to former NBA MVP Steve Nash about the historic series. He shared what he told his teammates to keep them locked in and how the momentum began to swing.
“We are gonna win Game 5. I can feel it. What I told them before we boarded a plane to go up to the Bay going to Game 5. Once what happened in Game 5 happened, my guys believed that what I was saying was coming true,” James said. “You’ll get me back to Game 6, we’ll come back here for Game 7.”
Nash said it must have felt like destiny, and James quickly agreed.
“Yea, it was like nothing is stopping us,” said James.
In Game 5, James put on a show, finishing with 41 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks in a 112-97 win to keep the series alive. He admitted that the Warriors were the more talented team, but once Cleveland took Game 5, momentum was on their side.
“They were the better team. I just think it’s the momentum wave. We hit a momentum pop,” James explained.
Bringing a championship to Cleveland meant everything to the Ohio native. James has called it his favorite title.
MORE: List of Every Finals MVP Winner Throughout NBA History Featuring LeBron James
Over the final three games of the series, James averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. He captured the Finals MVP award for the third time in his career.
Now at 40, James is still playing at a high level with the Los Angeles Lakers. He hopes to add one more championship before his career ends, but 2016 will always stand out for him and for everyone who watched history in the making.
