In the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers put on a remarkable show. The Cavaliers were the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.
LeBron James ended the series against the Golden State Warriors after winning Game 6 115-101. The Warriors slipped up, allowing the King’s squad to tie the series at 3-3, and he was sure of it. Here is James’ NSFW response to the Warriors’ Game 6 NBA Finals loss.
“They f****d up. Mentally and physically. I’m telling you, they f****d up.”
LeBron’s speech after Game 6 of the 2016 Finals is one of the coldest speeches of all time pic.twitter.com/KtuCWUQ4Ws https://t.co/GivX1k8hk0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 23, 2023
In Game 6, James had 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. In the pivotal Game 7 of the series, he followed up the dazzling effort by scoring 27 points, pulling down 11 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists. LeBron contributed a crucial block in the final seconds of the game, which enabled the Cavaliers to win Game 7 93-89.
The 73-9 Warriors made NBA Finals history by being the first team to permit a team to rally from a 3-1 deficit. It will always be remembered as a stain on the Dubs’ reign as the league’s dynasty.
LeBron James believes that after winning the 2016 NBA Championship, he officially became the “GOAT.”
In the 2016 NBA Finals, LeBron James was at the top of his game against the Warriors. James won the NBA Finals MVP award for his efforts, averaging 29.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG during the championship series.
After leading the Cavaliers to the championship in 2016, James thinks he has cemented his status as the greatest basketball player of all time.
“That moment I was like I am the greatest basketball player people have ever seen in all the facets. Like I can play 1 to 5, I can guard 1 to 5, just literally like doing something that’s never been done in the history of the sport. Teams that go down 3-1 were like 0 for 32 in finals history. There was nobody every coming out of there and nobody gave us a chance. I just felt like aint nobody better than me at this.”
Even LeBron James’ rival, Draymond Green, concurred that facing and defeating the greatest team ever put together made him the GOAT. Fans will continue to argue over whether or not that is true. While many may not consider James to be their GOAT, they should never underestimate what he accomplished in 2016.