The 2016 NBA Finals saw LeBron James stepping up for the Cleveland Cavaliers, propelling them to a win that would resonate throughout NBA history. The Golden State Warriors started the Finals with a resounding win against the Cavaliers. They doubled up the lead with the Cavaliers struggling to shake off the early jitters.
It was finally in Game 3 of the Finals that the Cavaliers broke the shackles, thanks to a show of collective brilliance from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The duo plundered 62 points collectively.
In Game 4, the Warriors stepped up big time as they rocked the Cavaliers by 108-97. However, things got heated after LeBron James and Draymond Green were entangled in an exchange. This led to a war of words that the annals of the NBA would never forget, and a subsequent showdown from James that swept the Warriors off their feet.
Klay Thompson’s Jab at LeBron James Ignited a Heated Exchange
When things got hyped up between LeBron James and Draymond Green, Green was suspended after accumulating too many flagrant foul points. This infuriated Klay Thompson, who was a shooting guard for the Golden State Warriors. He took a scathing jab at James, which led to a pumped-up exchange of barbs and also stoked James like never before.
Talking in the post-match press conference, Thompson said, “Guys talk trash in this league all the time. I’m just kind of shocked some guys take it so personal. I don’t know how [James] feels. But obviously, people have feelings, and people’s feelings get hurt even if they’re called a bad word. I guess his feelings just got hurt. I mean, we’ve all been called plenty of bad words on the basketball court before. Some guys just react to it differently.”
James has always had a knack for giving things back in the same coin, and he reacted to the challenge. James said, “My goodness. I’m not going to comment on what Klay said, because I know where it can go from this sit-in. It’s so hard to take the high road. I’ve been doing it for 13 years. It’s so hard to continue to do it, and I’m going to do it again.”
High Road. invisible bridge used to step over said person when open floor is available left to right.
— Ayesha Curry (@ayeshacurry) June 12, 2016
The comment from James drew a significant bit of flak from Ayesha Curry, Stephen Curry’s wife. She took to X, formerly Twitter, and posted, “High Road. Invisible bridge used to step over said person when open floor is available, left to right.”
This infuriated fans, but more importantly, it inflamed James, and what happened from then on, the Warriors weren’t ready for it. This was a reference to James stepping over Green, which was deemed disrespectful.
LeBron James’ Dominance: A Historic Comeback for the Cavaliers
Once James is stoked, it is hard to put a leash on him anymore. That is exactly what happened. LeBron James went on a rampage, averaging a staggering 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists in the next three games of the 2016 NBA Finals. From being down 3-1, the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to win their first NBA championship.
Being 3-1 down in the series, the Cavaliers came back strongly enough to secure a 112-97 victory in Game 5. Klay Thompson did live up to his words, scoring 37 points, but James eclipsed him emphatically.
James went on to score a staggering 41 points in that game, silencing the Warriors. He smashed another 41-point showdown in the following Game 6, leveling the series for the Cavaliers.
Throwback: LeBron James puts up 27-11-11 and the game winning block on Andre Iguodala to seal the Cavs 3-1 comeback in game 7 of the 2016 NBA finalspic.twitter.com/C7Px0TMx5h
— Sxpreme (@Sxpreme_WRLD) June 5, 2025
Eventually, in the decisive Game 7, the Cavaliers prevailed in what was an iconic thriller. With 1:50 remaining in the final quarter, Andre Iguodala of the Warriors drove through the Cavaliers’ defense and went for a layup.
James went all-out in the returning sprint and timed his leap to perfection, channeling the shot onto the backboard with his memorable block. This block set up Kyrie Irving’s clutch 3-pointer as the Cavaliers secured their first NBA title in 52 years, ending Cleveland’s major professional sports championship drought.
