Almost a decade has passed since an iconic indirect interaction between LeBron James and Klay Thompson. With the 2024 NBA Finals currently underway, fans have brought up all the best moments in Finals history from the past. As one might expect, the 2016 NBA Finals has not been forgotten by the majority of the basketball community.
The younger and newer NBA fans might not know a great deal about this Finals matchup in 2016. It was between LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. While the outcome of this series found a place in NBA history, there were several other events that took place that fans may not remember. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
The backstory to Klay Thompson’s taunt toward LeBron James
Those who were actually able to watch the 2016 NBA Finals will remember that it was full of tension or friction between both sides. As the Golden State Warriors took a lead in the series, Draymond Green had an altercation with LeBron James and even hurled verbal insults at LeBron. King James reacted to it emotionally.
In the following postgame interview, Klay Thompson opined that LeBron ‘probably got his feelings hurt.’ While there may have been some truth to this claim, there is no denying that it was a taunt in itself, made with the intention of labelling LeBron James as an emotional person.
Why the 2016 NBA title is considered the greatest championship ever
While a case could be made for several other NBA championships to hold the title of being the greatest ever, the 2016 championship won by the Cleveland Cavaliers makes a strong case for itself. The Golden State Warriors had a record-breaking regular season and finished with a record of 73 wins and 9 losses.
No other team in NBA history has come close to holding such a record, with the exception of the 72 wins and 10 losses Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan. The Warriors entered the Finals and took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series after Game 4. They were expected by many to win the title for a second straight year in a row.
8 years ago today, the Warriors took a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals.
The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/fo6Va2wTj4
— LeBron History 🏀 (@bronhistory) June 10, 2024
However, LeBron played at an elite level and his squad pulled off an incredible comeback to win 3 straight games in a row. By doing so, they became the first-ever team to comeback from being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals. For all of these reasons, one could argue that the 2016 title is the greatest championship series in NBA history.