Lebron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers enter the NBA Finals Game 7 knowing there are very few basketball fans who thought the team would get this far. The Golden State Warriors weren’t supposed to need an NBA Finals Game 7 in order to win their second straight championship, but Lebron James has managed to rally his team, and with a little help from his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, is one win away from sneaking away with the title.
[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]
Some of the reason the Cleveland Cavalier star is so disliked is because of the way that he left his hometown team for the Miami Heat. Some of it is just the residuals of being one of the most talked about and recognizable faces in the National Basketball Association. Whatever the reason, most of the basketball world was likely rooting against James and the Cleveland Cavaliers when this series started. Now that the NBA Finals has reached Game 7, people are suddenly looking to see what would be a pretty historic upset.
The Golden State Warriors ran over, around, and through the rest of the league all season long as they posted a historic win-loss record. They struggled here and there in their path to the finals, but there was usually little doubt they would be able to hit the shots that needed to be hit in order to advance towards their destiny. A funny thing happened on the way to that destiny. Steph Curry whipped his mouthpiece at a fan, and his wife started complaining about the playoffs being rigged.
In general, one team lost its composure while another team embraced the role of underdog and the “cool under pressure” approach that’s needed to pull off the biggest upsets. It helps that Cleveland isn’t a team that owns many championships. The baseball team has largely been the laughing stock of the American League, barring a few very good seasons, and he football team has been one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL since returning to town.
The Cavs have certainly not been thought of as impressive since it’s been more than 52 years of championship-less basketball. When Lebron James returned to the Cavs, he made it clear he did it because he thought the city and the team deserved to win a championship and he wanted to help make that happen. The Warriors are doing their best to make that happen as well, as they lose their composure the closer the team gets to being kicked out of the finals.
[Photo by Ron Schwane – Pool/Getty Images]
[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]