June 19, 2016
Peter Solari Follow @4PeteSakeNY
Congratulation Cleveland, your long wait is over!
The Cavaliers made history on Sunday night with their 93-89 win over the Golden State Warriors in game 7 of the NBA Finals. Not only did LeBron James lead the Cavs to their first title in franchise history, but in doing so, the team ended a more than half a century drought for the city. The last Cleveland team to win a major professional sports championship was Jim Brown's 1964 Browns, who won the NFL championship that season. And that's not all, either. The Cavaliers become the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 finals deficit.
James was named unanimous Finals MVP after recording 27 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in the decisive game, making some personal history of his own. He joined former Laker Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only players in history to record triple doubles in game 7 of the Finals.
For the Warriors, it was a bitter ending to a great season. Golden State set the single season record for wins in a season with 73, one more than their coach, Steve Kerr's 1996 Chicago Bulls team. That Bulls team also had a fellow by the name of Michael Jordan, and ended their season with an NBA title.
It could be a long offseason for Warriors forward Draymond Green. With his team firmly in control, holding a 3-1 series lead, Green was suspended for Game 5 after accumulating his fourth flagrant foul of the playoffs. Cleveland took advantage in Game 5, and Golden State was never able to recover. The Warriors didn't win another game after that.
