Everyone remembers where they were when the buzzer sounded. June 19, 2016. Oracle Arena was dead silent, save for the eruptive sobbing of a man who had just carried an entire state on his back. If you’re looking for a quick answer to who won the nba 2016 finals, it was the Cleveland Cavaliers. But honestly, just saying the name "Cavaliers" doesn't even begin to cover the absolute insanity of what happened that summer. It wasn't just a win. It was a statistical anomaly that ruined the greatest regular-season record in the history of the sport.
The Golden State Warriors had 73 wins. Seventy-three. They had the first-ever unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry. They had a 3-1 lead. Nobody comes back from 3-1 in the Finals. At least, they didn't until LeBron James and Kyrie Irving decided to play like gods for three straight games.
The 3-1 Curse and Why It Mattered
Before 2016, 32 teams had faced a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. All 32 of them lost. Most of them didn't even make it to a Game 7. The math was simple: Cleveland was dead.
The turning point wasn't just about basketball; it was about pride and a very specific swipe at Draymond Green's groin. In Game 4, LeBron and Draymond got into it. Draymond said some words—legend says he called LeBron a "bitch"—and the league eventually suspended Green for Game 5 due to an accumulation of flagrant fouls. That was the crack in the door. The Warriors were still heavy favorites, even without Draymond for one game, but the momentum shifted in a way that felt almost spiritual.
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LeBron James knew the history. He knew the weight of the "Cleveland Curse"—the 52-year drought that had haunted the city since the 1964 Browns. People talk about the "Block" or the "Shot," but the real story is the psychological warfare. The Cavs had to believe they could beat a team that had literally forgotten how to lose.
What Really Happened in Game 5 and 6
If Game 5 was a fluke, Game 6 was a statement. In Game 5, both LeBron and Kyrie Irving dropped 41 points. Imagine that. Two teammates, on the road, facing elimination, both scoring over 40. It had never happened before in Finals history. They weren't just hitting shots; they were demoralizing the best defense in the league. Klay Thompson was chasing around ghosts, and Steph Curry started to look human for the first time all year.
Then came Game 6 in Cleveland.
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The atmosphere was vibrating. I remember the footage of the crowd outside the arena; it looked like a revolution. LeBron dropped another 41. He was playing "point-center," defending every position, and somehow finding time to talk trash to Steph after blocking his layup. The Warriors were rattled. Curry threw his mouthguard and got ejected. For the first time, the 73-win juggernaut looked like they were made of glass.
The Anatomy of Game 7: The Greatest Game Ever?
Game 7 was ugly. It was beautiful, but it was ugly. Both teams were exhausted. The shots weren't falling. The tension was so thick you could barely breathe through the TV screen.
With about two minutes left, the score was tied at 89-89. It stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. This is where the legends were made.
- The Block: Andre Iguodala went up for what looked like a guaranteed breakaway layup. LeBron James came out of nowhere—seriously, he was at the half-court line when the fast break started—and pinned the ball against the glass. It’s arguably the greatest defensive play in the history of the NBA.
- The Shot: Kyrie Irving, standing across from the unanimous MVP, took a side-step triple. "The shot heard 'round the world." He didn't hesitate. He didn't blink. Splash.
- The Stop: Kevin Love, a guy who had been criticized all series for his defense, found himself switched onto Steph Curry on the perimeter. Everyone expected Curry to cook him. Love stayed glued to him, forced a contested miss, and effectively sealed the title.
When people ask who won the nba 2016 finals, they’re asking about a box score, but the answer is really about those three specific sequences. Cleveland won 93-89. LeBron finished with a triple-double: 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. He led both teams in every major statistical category for the series—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. It was the most dominant individual performance we will likely ever see.
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Why This Win Still Matters Today
The 2016 Finals changed the trajectory of the league. If the Warriors win that game, Kevin Durant probably stays in Oklahoma City. The "superteam" era might have looked completely different. Instead, the Warriors’ loss created the space for them to go out and recruit KD, leading to two more rings but also a lot of "what ifs" regarding the parity of the league.
For Cleveland, it was everything. It validated LeBron’s return from Miami. It turned Kyrie Irving into a superstar. It proved that even the most advanced analytics—which gave the Cavs a 3% chance to win after Game 4—can't account for sheer human will.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Historians
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of basketball, don't just watch the highlights. The highlights don't show the fatigue.
- Watch the full fourth quarter of Game 7: Notice how nobody could score for nearly four minutes. It highlights the defensive intensity and the nerves that stats don't capture.
- Analyze the Draymond Green suspension impact: Many argue the Warriors still win if he plays Game 5. Look at the defensive efficiency ratings with and without him in that series to see the disparity.
- Study the "Point-LeBron" transition: This series was the blueprint for how LeBron would play for the next decade—controlling the pace of the game entirely through his basketball IQ rather than just raw athleticism.
- Compare the 2015 and 2016 Finals: The 2015 series was plagued by injuries for Cleveland (no Kyrie, no Love). Seeing the two teams at full strength in 2016 provides the necessary context for why this rivalry was the peak of 2010s basketball.
The 2016 Finals wasn't just a championship; it was a cultural shift. It was the moment the "invincible" Warriors proved they could bleed, and it was the moment LeBron James finally fulfilled the promise he made to Northeast Ohio back in 2003. It remains the gold standard for what a playoff series should be: dramatic, controversial, and ultimately decided by the greatest players on the planet.