The 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers have landed at No. 89 on Bleacher Report’s list of the greatest sports teams of all time, a placement that still nods to one of the most dramatic title runs in NBA history.
That group was built around LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and it put together a 57-25 regular season before finishing as the No. 1 seed in the 2016 Eastern Conference playoffs. Cleveland then pushed through the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors to reach the NBA Finals.
Waiting there was a Golden State team that had just gone 73-9, the best regular season the league had ever seen. The Cavaliers dropped behind 3-1 in the series, and the odds looked brutal. No NBA team had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.
Then LeBron and Irving detonated in Game 5, each scoring 41 points in Golden State to keep Cleveland alive. LeBron followed that with another 41-point performance in Game 6 back home, powering a blowout win that forced a Game 7.
And Game 7 delivered the finish that still hangs over the sport. Cleveland escaped 93-89, with LeBron piling up 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He also came up with the block on Andre Iguodala that set up Irving’s game-winning shot over Stephen Curry.
LeBron’s place in Cavaliers lore is already secure. Across his two stints in Cleveland from 2003-10 and 2014-18, he averaged 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He also won two MVPs, one Finals MVP, and made 10 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams.
There was plenty of buzz that LeBron might return to the Cavaliers this summer after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, but he instead signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“This is my last decision,” LeBron wrote on social media. “I’m not going for money.
I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?
I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work.
I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
In Other News...
Cavs Just Made A Risky Bet On Peyton Watson
The Cavaliers have made a clear swing for upside by bringing in Peyton Watson and handing him a four-year deal, with the expectation that he steps right into the starting small forward spot. It is the kind of move that says Cleveland is not just filling a hole, but betting that Watsons length and two-way profile can grow into a bigger role on a roster trying to stay relevant now and later.
The price tag was steep enough to turn heads around the league, since Denver got an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2032 second-rounder in return. For the Nuggets, that first-rounder is more of a future trade chip than a pick they plan to keep, another reminder that the real value in a deal like this can live years down the road, long after the immediate lineup change has already taken hold in Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs New Forward Is Hinting At A Bigger Role Than Expected
Peyton Watsons offseason has already offered a glimpse of the company he expects to keep in Cleveland. The Cavaliers new forward was seen working out with Kevin Durant and LeBron James, a sign that he has spent the summer around elite players while sharpening his own game. Watson is also putting a clear emphasis on strength training and skill development as he gets ready for the upcoming NBA season, with an eye on fitting into the Cavaliers lineup.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious: Watson arrives with experience from a championship team and a profile that suggests he can grow into more than a depth piece. The Cavs are looking at how his athleticism and developing skill set can complement the rest of the roster, and the fact that he is already training with the leagues biggest names only adds to the sense that his role could become larger than expected once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Still Have One Hurdle Before James Harden Can Return
James Harden agreed to return to the Cavaliers nearly three weeks ago, but the deal still has not been completed because of Clevelands salary cap situation. The front office has been juggling the roster and the books to create enough room, including waiving Cam Whitmore and signing Khalifa Diop, all while trying to preserve the flexibility needed to officially bring Harden back into the fold.
What remains is a matter of fitting the contract into the teams current structure, and Cleveland is still working through the last bit of maneuvering. Harden is expected to either accept a slightly reduced deal or wait for the Cavaliers to make another roster move, which leaves one final hurdle before the signing can become official. [Read more 🡒]