2016 NBA Finals - wikipedia 2016 NBA Finals This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 3 October 2018. 2016 NBA Finals Team Coach Wins Cleveland Cavaliers Tyronn Lue Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr Dates June 2 -- 19 MVP LeBron James ( Cleveland Cavaliers ) Television United States : English : ABC and ESPN3 Spanish : ESPN Deportes Canada : ( all ABC simulcasts ) TSN ( Games 1, 2, 5, 7 ) Sportsnet ( Games 3, 4, 6 ) Announcers ABC : Mike Breen ( play - by - play ) Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy ( analysts ) Doris Burke ( sideline reporter ) Craig Sager ( sideline reporter in Game 6 ) ESPN Deportes : Álvaro Martín ( play - by - play ), and Carlos Morales ( analyst ) Radio network ESPN Radio ( National ) Cleveland Cavaliers Radio Network ( Cleveland ) Golden State Warriors Radio Network ( Golden State ) Announcers Kevin Calabro and Hubie Brown ( ESPN Radio ) John Michael and Jim Chones ( Cleveland ) Tim Roye, Jim Barnett and Tom Tolbert ( Golden State ) Referees Game 1 : Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Marc Davis Game 2 : Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, James Capers Game 3 : Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Zach Zarba Game 4 : Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips Game 5 : Monty McCutchen, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford Game 6 : Scott Foster, Ken Mauer, Jason Phillips Game 7 Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen Eastern Finals Cavaliers defeated Raptors, 4 -- 2 Western Finals Warriors defeated Thunder, 4 -- 3 < 2015 NBA Finals 2017 > The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 2015 -- 16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4 -- 3 in a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals. It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history, and the first Finals since 2008 in which the number one seed in each conference met. It was the second straight rematch in back - to - back years, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014. Golden State, which earned home - court advantage with setting the NBA regular season wins record ( 73 -- 9 ), jumped to a 2 -- 0 lead in the series while recording the largest combined margin of victory ( 48 ) through two games in NBA Finals history. Cleveland returned home and responded with a 120 -- 90 win in Game 3, but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a 3 -- 1 series lead. The Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully overcome a 3 -- 1 deficit. It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team. For the first time since 2004, a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals. In previous years, the Finals were played in a Thursday -- Sunday -- Tuesday scheme. However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams, which have to travel from one city to another during the series. This, along with the designated travel day, took place after Games 2, 4, 5, and 6. The win by the Cavaliers was the first major professional sports championship won by a team based in Cleveland since 1964, and the first - ever championship won by the Cavaliers franchise. NBA Finals MVP winner LeBron James propelled the Cavaliers to the historic comeback. James had a historically great Finals performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead all players in a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. James ' heroics coupled with the suspense of Cleveland 's comeback have led many sports critics to deem the 2016 NBA Finals as one of the most exciting in recent history. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Cleveland Cavaliers 1.2 Golden State Warriors 1.3 Road to the Finals 1.4 Regular season series 2 Series summary 3 Game summaries 3.1 Game 1 3.2 Game 2 3.3 Game 3 3.4 Game 4 3.5 Game 5 3.6 Game 6 3.7 Game 7 4 Rosters 4.1 Cleveland Cavaliers 4.2 Golden State Warriors 5 Player statistics 6 Broadcast 6.1 Television ratings 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Background Cleveland Cavaliers Main article : 2015 -- 16 Cleveland Cavaliers season This was Cleveland 's second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and third overall, seeking to win their first ever NBA championship. This would also be the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James, the most for any player not part of the 1960s Boston Celtics, and the fifth for James Jones ( who technically qualified for the 2011 NBA Finals along with James, but did not play ). Despite holding the best record in the Eastern Conference at 30 -- 11 midway through the season on January 22, 2016, the Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt. Associate head coach Tyronn Lue was then promoted to replace Blatt. General Manager David Griffin cited `` a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision '' as the reason for Blatt 's firing. Cleveland finished the regular season with a 57 -- 25 record, capturing the Central Division title and the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. They then advanced to the Finals after sweeping both the Detroit Pistons in the first round and the Atlanta Hawks in the second round, and defeating the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. The Cavaliers were the first team in history to go to two consecutive NBA Finals with rookie head coaches. Golden State Warriors Main article : 2015 -- 16 Golden State Warriors season This was the defending NBA Champions Golden State Warriors ' second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and eighth overall. The Warriors broke the record set by the 1995 -- 96 Chicago Bulls by finishing the regular season with a 73 -- 9 record. In addition, the Warriors broke numerous other NBA records, including most road wins ( 34 ), best start to a season ( 24 -- 0 ) and longest regular - season home win streak ( 54 dating back to the 2014 -- 15 season ). They also became the first team to make over 1,000 three - pointers in the regular - season with 1,077, eclipsing the previous record of 933 set by the 2014 -- 15 Houston Rockets. The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who was named the NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) for the second straight season. The Splash Brothers twosome of Curry and Klay Thompson were the highest scoring duo in the league, combining to average 52.2 points per game. Head coach Steve Kerr missed the first 43 regular season games because of a back injury. Assistant coach Luke Walton served as interim head coach during Kerr 's absence and he led the Warriors to a 39 -- 4 start. In the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round and the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals in five games each. In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 96 -- 88, becoming only the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3 -- 1 series deficit, and advancing to a second straight NBA Finals for the first time since 1947 and 1948. Road to the Finals Main article : 2016 NBA Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers ( Eastern Conference champion ) Golden State Warriors ( Western Conference champion ) Eastern Conference # Team PCT GB GP c -- Cleveland Cavaliers * 57 25. 695 -- 82 y -- Toronto Raptors * 56 26. 683 1.0 82 y -- Miami Heat * 48 34. 585 9.0 82 x -- Atlanta Hawks 48 34. 585 9.0 82 5 x -- Boston Celtics 48 34. 585 9.0 82 6 x -- Charlotte Hornets 48 34. 585 9.0 82 7 x -- Indiana Pacers 45 37. 549 12.0 82 8 x -- Detroit Pistons 44 38. 537 13.0 82 9 Chicago Bulls 42 40. 512 15.0 82 10 Washington Wizards 41 41. 500 16.0 82 11 Orlando Magic 35 47. 427 22.0 82 12 Milwaukee Bucks 33 49. 402 24.0 82 13 New York Knicks 32 50. 390 25.0 82 14 Brooklyn Nets 21 61. 256 36.0 82 15 Philadelphia 76ers 10 72. 122 47.0 82 1st seed in the East, 3rd best league record Regular season Western Conference # Team PCT GB GP z -- Golden State Warriors * 73 9. 890 -- 82 y -- San Antonio Spurs * 67 15. 817 6.0 82 y -- Oklahoma City Thunder * 55 27. 671 18.0 82 x -- Los Angeles Clippers 53 29. 646 20.0 82 5 x -- Portland Trail Blazers 44 38. 537 29.0 82 6 x -- Dallas Mavericks 42 40. 512 31.0 82 7 x -- Memphis Grizzlies 42 40. 512 31.0 82 8 x -- Houston Rockets 41 41. 500 32.0 82 9 Utah Jazz 40 42. 488 33.0 82 10 Sacramento Kings 33 49. 402 40.0 82 11 Denver Nuggets 33 49. 402 40.0 82 12 New Orleans Pelicans 30 52. 366 43.0 82 13 Minnesota Timberwolves 29 53. 354 44.0 82 14 Phoenix Suns 23 59. 280 50.0 82 15 Los Angeles Lakers 17 65. 207 56.0 82 1st seed in the West, best league record Defeated the 8th seeded Detroit Pistons, 4 -- 0 First round Defeated the 8th seeded Houston Rockets, 4 -- 1 Defeated the 4th seeded Atlanta Hawks, 4 -- 0 Conference Semifinals Defeated the 5th seeded Portland Trail Blazers, 4 -- 1 Defeated the 2nd seeded Toronto Raptors, 4 -- 2 Conference Finals Defeated the 3rd seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 -- 3 Regular season series The Warriors won the regular season series 2 -- 0. December 25, 2015 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Golden State Warriors 89 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California January 18, 2016 Recap Golden State Warriors 132, Cleveland Cavaliers 98 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Series summary Game Date Home Team Result Road Team Game 1 Thursday, June 2 Golden State Warriors 104 -- 89 ( 1 -- 0 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Game 2 Sunday, June 5 Golden State Warriors 110 -- 77 ( 2 -- 0 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3 Wednesday, June 8 Cleveland Cavaliers 120 -- 90 ( 1 -- 2 ) Golden State Warriors Game 4 Friday, June 10 Cleveland Cavaliers 97 -- 108 ( 1 -- 3 ) Golden State Warriors Game 5 Monday, June 13 Golden State Warriors 97 -- 112 ( 3 -- 2 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Game 6 Thursday, June 16 Cleveland Cavaliers 115 -- 101 ( 3 -- 3 ) Golden State Warriors Game 7 Sunday, June 19 Golden State Warriors 89 -- 93 ( 3 -- 4 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Game summaries All times are in Eastern Daylight Time ( UTC − 4 ) Game 1 The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104 -- 89 in Game 1 to take a 1 -- 0 series lead. The Cavaliers led 68 -- 67 before the Warriors broke the game open with a 29 -- 9 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 96 -- 76 lead. Cleveland got the deficit within eleven points at 98 -- 87 after an 11 -- 2 run, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson nailed back - to - back three - pointers to essentially seal the victory for Golden State. While Curry and Thompson had a rough night combining for 20 points, the Warriors got a lift from its bench, outscoring the Cavaliers ' bench 45 -- 10. Shaun Livingston scored his playoff - career high 20 points to lead Golden State, while Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 26 points. LeBron James fell one assist shy of a triple - double ( 23 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists ). Cleveland Cavaliers v Golden State Warriors June 2 Cleveland Cavaliers 89 -- 104 ( Series : 0 -- 1 ) Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 9 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 24 -- 28, 19 -- 24, 25 -- 22, 21 -- 30 ABC Pts : Kyrie Irving 26 Rebs : Kevin Love 13 Asts : LeBron James 9 Boxscore Pts : Shaun Livingston 20 Rebs : Draymond Green 11 Asts : Draymond Green 7 Attendance : 19,596 Referees : Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Marc Davis Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 26 SG 5 J.R. Smith SF 23 LeBron James 23 12 9 PF 0 Kevin Love 17 13 13 Tristan Thompson 10 12 0 Reserves : F / C 9 Channing Frye 0 24 Richard Jefferson 0 20 Timofey Mozgov 0 0 8 Matthew Dellavedova 0 52 Mo Williams 0 0 0 Iman Shumpert 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 0 0 0 G / F James Jones 0 0 0 Head coach : Tyronn Lue Cavaliers Warriors Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 11 5 6 SG 11 Klay Thompson 9 5 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 13 PF 23 Draymond Green 16 11 7 12 Andrew Bogut 10 Reserves : G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 12 7 6 34 Shaun Livingston 20 19 Leandro Barbosa 11 0 G / F Brandon Rush 0 0 0 21 Ian Clark 0 0 0 31 Festus Ezeli 0 18 Anderson Varejão 0 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 0 Head coach : Steve Kerr Game 2 The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 110 -- 77 in Game 2 to take a 2 -- 0 series lead. Cleveland took a 28 -- 22 lead about two minutes into the second quarter, but Golden State answered with a 20 -- 2 run while outscoring the Cavs 30 -- 16 the rest of the period. During the run, the Cavaliers ' Kevin Love suffered a head injury while attempting to grab a defensive rebound. Love stayed throughout the remainder of the period but did not play the second half. The Warriors continued to dominate Cleveland from there, outscoring the Cavaliers 58 -- 33 in the final two quarters. Draymond Green led all scorers with 28 points, including 5 of 8 from three - point range. Curry and Klay Thompson added 18 and 17 points, respectively, while drilling four threes each. With their victory, the Warriors posted the highest winning margin in the first two Finals games with a 48 - point differential. James led the Cavs with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, but he committed 7 turnovers. James added 4 steals while surpassing John Stockton for fourth on the all - time playoff steals list. Cleveland Cavaliers v Golden State Warriors June 5 Cleveland Cavaliers 77 -- 110 ( Series : 0 -- 2 ) Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 8 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 21 -- 19, 23 -- 33, 18 -- 30, 15 -- 28 ABC Pts : LeBron James 19 Rebs : LeBron James 8 Asts : LeBron James 9 Boxscore Pts : Draymond Green 28 Rebs : Stephen Curry 9 Asts : Green, Livingston, Thompson 5 each Attendance : 19,596 Referees : Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, James Capers Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 10 SG 5 J.R. Smith 5 SF 23 LeBron James 19 8 9 PF 0 Kevin Love 5 0 13 Tristan Thompson 8 5 0 Reserves : F / C 9 Channing Frye 0 0 24 Richard Jefferson 12 5 0 20 Timofey Mozgov 5 0 8 Matthew Dellavedova 7 52 Mo Williams 0 0 Iman Shumpert 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 0 0 G / F James Jones 0 0 Head coach : Tyronn Lue Cavaliers Warriors Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 18 9 SG 11 Klay Thompson 17 5 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 5 5 PF 23 Draymond Green 28 7 5 12 Andrew Bogut 6 0 Reserves : G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 7 5 34 Shaun Livingston 7 5 19 Leandro Barbosa 10 G / F Brandon Rush 0 21 Ian Clark 7 31 Festus Ezeli 6 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 0 0 18 Anderson Varejão DNP Head coach : Steve Kerr Game 3 The Cavaliers avenged their lopsided defeat to Golden State by routing the Warriors 120 -- 90 in Game 3 to trail the series 2 -- 1. The Cavaliers scored the game 's first nine points en route to outscoring the Warriors 33 -- 16 after one quarter. Golden State rallied to trim Cleveland 's lead as low as seven points on a couple of occasions before the Cavs settled for a 51 -- 43 halftime lead. In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and outscored Golden State 69 -- 47. Love did not play due to a concussion. James led all scorers with 32 points. Irving added 30 points for the Cavs. Curry led the Warriors with 19 points, while drilling four threes. Harrison Barnes also contributed 18 points in 33 minutes of play. Golden State Warriors v Cleveland Cavaliers June 8 Golden State Warriors 90 -- 120 ( Series : 2 -- 1 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 9 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 16 -- 33, 27 -- 18, 26 -- 38, 21 -- 31 ABC Pts : Stephen Curry 19 Rebs : Harrison Barnes 8 Asts : Draymond Green 7 Boxscore Pts : LeBron James 32 Rebs : Tristan Thompson 13 Asts : Kyrie Irving 8 Attendance : 20,562 Referees : Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Zach Zarba Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 19 SG 11 Klay Thompson 10 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 18 8 PF 23 Draymond Green 6 7 7 12 Andrew Bogut 0 Reserves : G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 11 0 34 Shaun Livingston 5 6 19 Leandro Barbosa 8 0 G / F Brandon Rush 0 0 21 Ian Clark 0 0 31 Festus Ezeli 0 0 0 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 5 0 18 Anderson Varejão Head coach : Steve Kerr Warriors Cavaliers Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 30 8 SG 5 J.R. Smith 20 SF 23 LeBron James 32 11 6 PF 24 Richard Jefferson 9 8 13 Tristan Thompson 14 13 Reserves : F / C 9 Channing Frye 0 0 0 20 Timofey Mozgov 0 8 Matthew Dellavedova 52 Mo Williams 0 Iman Shumpert 5 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 0 0 G / F James Jones 0 0 12 Jordan McRae 0 Head coach : Tyronn Lue Game 4 The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108 -- 97 in Game 4 to take a 3 -- 1 series lead. After averaging just 16 points in the first three games of the series, Curry scored 38 and was 7 of 13 on three - pointers. The Warriors made 17 three - pointers, then an NBA record for a single Finals game. They made only 16 two - point field goals, the first time in Finals history a team made more shots from three - point range. Klay Thompson added 25 points and four three - pointers for Golden State. It was the Warriors ' 88th win of the season, which broke the 1995 -- 96 Chicago Bulls record of 87 for most wins in an NBA season ( regular - season and postseason combined ). Green and James had to be separated in the closing minutes of the game, when Green fell to the ground and James stepped over him. Feeling disrespected, Green swung his arm and appeared to make contact with James ' groin. Golden State Warriors v Cleveland Cavaliers June 10 Golden State Warriors 108 -- 97 ( Series : 3 -- 1 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 9 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 29 -- 28, 21 -- 27, 29 -- 22, 29 -- 20 ABC Pts : Stephen Curry 38 Rebs : Draymond Green 12 Asts : Andre Iguodala 7 Boxscore Pts : Kyrie Irving 34 Rebs : LeBron James 13 Asts : LeBron James 9 Attendance : 20,562 Referees : Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 38 6 7 SG 11 Klay Thompson 25 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 14 8 PF 23 Draymond Green 9 12 12 Andrew Bogut 0 Reserves : G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 10 6 7 34 Shaun Livingston 8 31 Festus Ezeli 0 0 0 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 0 0 0 18 Anderson Varejão 0 19 Leandro Barbosa DNP 21 Ian Clark DNP Head coach : Steve Kerr Warriors Cavaliers Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 34 SG 5 J.R. Smith 10 SF 23 LeBron James 25 13 9 PF 24 Richard Jefferson 6 0 13 Tristan Thompson 10 7 0 Reserves : F 0 Kevin Love 11 5 0 F / C 9 Channing Frye 0 0 8 Matthew Dellavedova Iman Shumpert 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 0 0 0 G / F James Jones DNP 20 Timofey Mozgov DNP 52 Mo Williams DNP Head coach : Tyronn Lue Game 5 The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 112 -- 97 in Game 5 to trail the series 3 -- 2. James and Irving each scored 41 points to become the first teammates in Finals history to score 40 or more in the same game. James also added 16 rebounds. After Game 4, Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 for his contact with James that was ruled `` unnecessary '' and `` retaliatory '', and James was given a technical foul for taunting. Having accumulated his fourth flagrant foul point in the playoffs, Green was suspended for Game 5, becoming the first player to be suspended from playing in a Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006. Green watched the game from a luxury box in the nearby Oakland Alameda Coliseum, where the Oakland Athletics were also playing a game at the same time, hosting the Texas Rangers. Warriors center Andrew Bogut suffered a season - ending injury to his left knee in the second half when he jumped to block a layup attempt by Cavs guard J.R. Smith and came down awkwardly on Smith. Cleveland Cavaliers v Golden State Warriors June 13 Cleveland Cavaliers 112 -- 97 ( Series : 2 -- 3 ) Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 9 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 29 -- 32, 32 -- 29, 32 -- 23, 19 -- 13 ABC Pts : Irving, James 41 each Rebs : LeBron James 16 Asts : LeBron James 7 Boxscore Pts : Klay Thompson 37 Rebs : Andre Iguodala 11 Asts : Andre Iguodala 6 Attendance : 19,596 Referees : Monty McCutchen, Marc Davis and Derrick Stafford Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 41 6 SG 5 J.R. Smith 10 SF 23 LeBron James 41 16 7 PF 0 Kevin Love 13 Tristan Thompson 6 15 0 Reserves : F 24 Richard Jefferson 8 0 20 Timofey Mozgov 0 0 0 8 Matthew Dellavedova 0 0 0 52 Mo Williams 0 0 0 Iman Shumpert 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 0 0 0 G / F James Jones 0 0 0 F / C 9 Channing Frye DNP Head coach : Tyronn Lue Cavaliers Warriors Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 25 7 SG 11 Klay Thompson 37 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 5 5 G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 15 11 6 12 Andrew Bogut 0 0 Reserves : G 34 Shaun Livingston 7 19 Leandro Barbosa 0 0 20 James Michael McAdoo 0 0 G / F Brandon Rush 0 0 31 Festus Ezeli 0 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 0 18 Anderson Varejão PF 23 Draymond Green DNP Head coach : Steve Kerr Game 6 LeBron James charging at Stephen Curry during game six. The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 115 -- 101 in Game 6 to even the series 3 -- 3. The Cavaliers scored the game 's first eight points en route to outscoring the Warriors 31 -- 11 after one quarter. Golden State rallied to trim Cleveland 's lead as low as eight points on a couple of occasions before the Cavs settled for a 59 -- 43 halftime lead. In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and tied the series. LeBron James led all scorers with 41 points with 11 assists. Kyrie Irving added 23 points for the Cavs, while Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 30 points, while drilling six threes. Klay Thompson added 25 points for the Warriors. Back from suspension, Green was held to eight points on 3 -- 7 shooting. James scored 18 straight points for Cleveland from the end of the third quarter to the 7 : 00 mark of the fourth. Late in the game with the Cavaliers up by 13, he blocked a Curry shot from behind, and afterward had some words for him. With 4 : 22 left, Curry received his sixth foul and fouled out of the game. He then threw his mouthpiece into the stands in frustration, resulting in a technical foul and his ejection from the game. Curry was the first MVP to foul out of an NBA Finals game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. The Cavaliers became the third team to fall behind 3 -- 1 and force Game 7 ( and the first in 50 years ). James was the first player to have consecutive 40 - point games in the finals since, coincidentally, Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000 Finals. Following the game, Curry and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr were fined $25,000 each for their actions and public officiating criticism. Golden State Warriors v Cleveland Cavaliers June 16 Golden State Warriors 101 -- 115 ( Series : 3 -- 3 ) Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 9 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 11 -- 31, 32 -- 28, 28 -- 21, 30 -- 35 ABC Pts : Stephen Curry 30 Rebs : Draymond Green 10 Asts : Draymond Green 6 Boxscore Pts : LeBron James 41 Rebs : Tristan Thompson 16 Asts : LeBron James 11 Attendance : 20,562 Referees : Scott Foster, Ken Mauer and Jason Phillips Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 30 SG 11 Klay Thompson 25 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 0 0 PF 9 Andre Iguodala 5 23 Draymond Green 8 10 6 Reserves : G 34 Shaun Livingston 31 Festus Ezeli F / C 5 Marreese Speights 6 0 18 Anderson Varejão 0 19 Leandro Barbosa 14 21 Ian Clark 0 F / C 20 James Michael McAdoo 0 Brandon Rush 0 Head coach : Steve Kerr Warriors Cavaliers Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 23 SG 5 J.R. Smith 14 SF 23 LeBron James 41 8 11 PF 0 Kevin Love 7 13 Tristan Thompson 15 16 Reserves : PF 24 Richard Jefferson 6 8 Matthew Dellavedova 0 Iman Shumpert 0 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones 5 0 G / F James Jones 0 0 0 20 Timofey Mozgov 0 0 52 Mo Williams F / C 9 Channing Frye DNP Head coach : Tyronn Lue Game 7 This season 's Finals marked the first time in NBA history in which both teams entered Game 7 with the same total points scored through six games ( 610 points each ). The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 93 -- 89 in Game 7 to win the series 4 -- 3. Game 7 was close, with 20 lead changes and 11 ties. This was the only game in the series to have a final margin of fewer than 10 points. At halftime, the Warriors were ahead 49 -- 42. In the second half, the Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 51 -- 40 as the Warriors failed to score a basket during the last 4 : 39 of the game. In the closing minutes of the 4th quarter, LeBron James delivered what became known as `` The Block '' on a layup attempt by Andre Iguodala with the score tied at 89 and 1 : 50 remaining in the game. Kyrie Irving made a go - ahead 3 - point field goal over Stephen Curry to give Cleveland a 92 -- 89 lead with 0 : 53 remaining in the game. Before Kyrie Irving 's 3 - point field goal, both teams were tied at 699 points scored apiece in this series. Immediately after Irving 's 3 - pointer, Golden State brought the ball up - court, opting not to call a timeout, and although Golden State got a preferred switch and matchup of Curry on Kevin Love, Love made arguably `` the biggest defensive stop of the entire NBA season '', and forced Curry into a contested 3 - pointer, which he missed. After LeBron James hurt his right wrist on a dunk attempt in which he was fouled, he nearly clinched the title for the Cavaliers by making one of two free throws with 10.6 seconds left in the game. The Cavaliers fouled Draymond Green with 6.5 seconds remaining. Stephen Curry received the ensuing inbounds pass, pump faked and shot a three pointer over Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert. The attempt missed, and was rebounded by Marreese Speights of the Warriors who attempted a three pointer as time expired and missed. Love immediately hugged the Finals MVP LeBron James. Draymond Green led all scorers with 32 points, including 6 of 8 from three - point range to go along with 15 rebounds and 9 assists. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson added 17 and 14 points, respectively. LeBron James led all Cavaliers with 27 points and became only the 3rd player ever in NBA history to record a triple double in an NBA Finals Game 7 by adding 11 assists and 11 rebounds. Kyrie Irving added 26 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3 -- 1 series deficit to win the NBA Finals. They became the first NBA Champion to clinch all their playoff series on the road since the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, as well as the first road team to win a Finals Game 7 since the 1978 Washington Bullets. The Cavaliers won their first championship in franchise history, ending a nearly 52 - year pro sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland. LeBron James was named the unanimous Finals MVP, becoming only the fifth player in NBA history to earn the award three times or more. He also was the overall leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks during the series, a feat that had never been accomplished in an NBA playoff series. Tyronn Lue became the 14th coach to win an NBA championship as a head coach and player. After 13 years, James had finally brought a championship to the city of Cleveland. This loss led the Warriors to pursue Kevin Durant when he became a free agent that summer signing him on July 4, 2016. On July 13, Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals received the 2016 ESPY award for Best Game. Cleveland Cavaliers v Golden State Warriors June 19 Cleveland Cavaliers 93 -- 89 ( Series : 4 -- 3 ) Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California 8 : 00 PM Scoring by quarter : 23 -- 22, 19 -- 27, 33 -- 27, 18 -- 13 ABC Pts : LeBron James 27 Rebs : Kevin Love 14 Asts : LeBron James 11 Boxscore Pts : Draymond Green 32 Rebs : Draymond Green 15 Asts : Draymond Green 9 Attendance : 19,596 Referees : Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG Kyrie Irving 26 6 SG 5 J.R. Smith 12 SF 23 LeBron James 27 11 11 PF 0 Kevin Love 9 14 13 Tristan Thompson 9 0 Reserves : F 24 Richard Jefferson 9 0 52 Mo Williams 0 0 Iman Shumpert 6 0 G / F 30 Dahntay Jones DNP G / F James Jones DNP F / C 9 Channing Frye DNP 20 Timofey Mozgov DNP 8 Matthew Dellavedova DNP Head coach : Tyronn Lue Cavaliers Warriors Starters : Pts Reb Ast PG 30 Stephen Curry 17 5 SG 11 Klay Thompson 14 SF 40 Harrison Barnes 10 PF 23 Draymond Green 32 15 9 31 Festus Ezeli 0 Reserves : G / F 9 Andre Iguodala 9 34 Shaun Livingston 8 19 Leandro Barbosa 0 0 F / C 5 Marreese Speights 0 0 18 Anderson Varejão 0 20 James Michael McAdoo DNP G / F Brandon Rush DNP 21 Ian Clark DNP Head coach : Steve Kerr Rosters Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 -- 16 Cleveland Cavaliers roster Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB ( YYYY - MM - DD ) From 7000800000000000000 ♠ 8 Dellavedova, Matthew 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 198 lb ( 90 kg ) 1990 -- 09 -- 08 `` See Tfd '' Saint Mary 's F / C 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9 Frye, Channing 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 255 lb ( 116 kg ) 1983 -- 05 -- 17 `` See Tfd '' Arizona 7000200000000000000 ♠ 2 Irving, Kyrie ( C ) 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 193 lb ( 88 kg ) 1992 -- 03 -- 23 `` See Tfd '' Duke 7001230000000000000 ♠ 23 James, LeBron ( C ) 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 250 lb ( 113 kg ) 1984 -- 12 -- 30 `` See Tfd '' St. Vincent -- St. Mary HS ( OH ) 7001240000000000000 ♠ 24 Jefferson, Richard 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 233 lb ( 106 kg ) 1980 -- 06 -- 21 `` See Tfd '' Arizona G / F 7001300000000000000 ♠ 30 Jones, Dahntay 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1980 -- 12 -- 27 `` See Tfd '' Duke G / F 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Jones, James 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 218 lb ( 99 kg ) 1980 -- 10 -- 04 `` See Tfd '' Miami ( FL ) 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14 Kaun, Sasha 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 260 lb ( 118 kg ) 1985 -- 05 -- 08 `` See Tfd '' Kansas F / C 5000000000000000000 ♠ 0 Love, Kevin ( C ) 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 251 lb ( 114 kg ) 1988 -- 09 -- 07 `` See Tfd '' UCLA 7001120000000000000 ♠ 12 McRae, Jordan 7000195580000000000 ♠ 6 ft 5 in ( 1.96 m ) 179 lb ( 81 kg ) 1991 -- 03 -- 28 `` See Tfd '' Tennessee 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Mozgov, Timofey 7000215899999999999 ♠ 7 ft 1 in ( 2.16 m ) 275 lb ( 125 kg ) 1986 -- 07 -- 16 Russia 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4 Shumpert, Iman 7000195580000000000 ♠ 6 ft 5 in ( 1.96 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1990 -- 06 -- 26 `` See Tfd '' Georgia Tech G / F 7000500000000000000 ♠ 5 Smith, J.R. 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1985 -- 09 -- 09 `` See Tfd '' St. Benedict 's Prep ( NJ ) F / C 7001130000000000000 ♠ 13 Thompson, Tristan 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 238 lb ( 108 kg ) 1991 -- 03 -- 13 `` See Tfd '' Texas 7001520000000000000 ♠ 52 Williams, Mo 7000185420000000000 ♠ 6 ft 1 in ( 1.85 m ) 198 lb ( 90 kg ) 1982 -- 12 -- 19 `` See Tfd '' Alabama Head coach Tyronn Lue Assistant coach ( es ) Jim Boylan Bret Brielmaier Larry Drew Damon Jones Mike Longabardi James Posey Phil Handy ( player development ) Vitaly Potapenko ( player development ) Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended ( DL ) On assignment to D - League affiliate Injured Roster Last transaction : 2016 -- 04 -- 13 Golden State Warriors 2015 -- 16 Golden State Warriors roster Players Coaches Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB ( YYYY - MM - DD ) From 7001190000000000000 ♠ 19 Barbosa, Leandro 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 194 lb ( 88 kg ) 1982 -- 11 -- 28 Brazil 7001400000000000000 ♠ 40 Barnes, Harrison 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1992 -- 05 -- 30 `` See Tfd '' North Carolina 7001120000000000000 ♠ 12 Bogut, Andrew 7000213360000000000 ♠ 7 ft 0 in ( 2.13 m ) 260 lb ( 118 kg ) 1984 -- 11 -- 28 `` See Tfd '' Utah 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Clark, Ian 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 175 lb ( 79 kg ) 1991 -- 03 -- 07 `` See Tfd '' Belmont 7001300000000000000 ♠ 30 Curry, Stephen ( C ) 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 190 lb ( 86 kg ) 1988 -- 03 -- 14 `` See Tfd '' Davidson 7001310000000000000 ♠ 31 Ezeli, Festus 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 265 lb ( 120 kg ) 1989 -- 10 -- 21 `` See Tfd '' Vanderbilt 7001230000000000000 ♠ 23 Green, Draymond ( C ) 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 230 lb ( 104 kg ) 1990 -- 03 -- 04 `` See Tfd '' Michigan State G / F 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9 Iguodala, Andre 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1984 -- 01 -- 28 `` See Tfd '' Arizona 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Livingston, Shaun 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 192 lb ( 87 kg ) 1985 -- 09 -- 11 `` See Tfd '' Peoria Central HS ( IL ) 7001360000000000000 ♠ 36 Looney, Kevon 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1996 -- 02 -- 06 `` See Tfd '' UCLA 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 McAdoo, James Michael 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 240 lb ( 109 kg ) 1993 -- 01 -- 04 `` See Tfd '' North Carolina G / F 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4 Rush, Brandon 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1985 -- 07 -- 07 `` See Tfd '' Kansas F / C 7000500000000000000 ♠ 5 Speights, Marreese 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 255 lb ( 116 kg ) 1987 -- 08 -- 04 `` See Tfd '' Florida 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 Thompson, Klay 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1990 -- 02 -- 08 `` See Tfd '' Washington State F / C 7001180000000000000 ♠ 18 Varejão, Anderson 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 273 lb ( 124 kg ) 1982 -- 09 -- 28 Brazil Head coach Steve Kerr Assistant coach ( es ) Ron Adams Jarron Collins Luke Walton Bruce Fraser ( player development ) Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended ( DL ) On assignment to D - League affiliate Injured Roster Last transaction : 2016 -- 06 -- 14 Player statistics Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG % Field - goal percentage 3P % 3 - point field - goal percentage FT % Free - throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Cleveland Cavaliers Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Matthew Dellavedova 6 0 7.6. 263. 167. 833 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 2.7 Channing Frye 0 8.3. 000. 000 1.000 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 Kyrie Irving 7 7 39.0. 468. 405. 939 3.9 3.9 0.7 27.1 LeBron James 7 7 41.7. 494. 371. 721 11.3 8.9 2.6 2.3 29.7 Richard Jefferson 7 24.0. 516. 167. 636 5.3 0.4 1.3 0.1 5.7 Dahntay Jones 6 0 3.0. 500. 000. 800 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.3 James Jones 5 0 4.0. 000. 000. 250 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.2 Kevin Love 6 5 26.3. 362. 263. 706 6.8 1.3 0.7 0.3 8.5 Jordan McRae 0 3.0 1.000. 000. 000 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 Timofey Mozgov 5 0 5.0. 333. 000. 750 1.6 0.0 0.6 0.2 1.4 Iman Shumpert 7 0 18.3. 304. 267 1.000 1.6 0.1 0.1 0.3 3.0 J.R. Smith 7 7 37.3. 400. 356. 667 2.7 1.6 1.4 0.3 10.6 Tristan Thompson 7 7 32.3. 636. 000. 533 10.1 0.7 0.3 0.9 10.3 Mo Williams 6 0 4.8. 333. 200. 000 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.0 1.5 Golden State Warriors Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Leandro Barbosa 6 0 13.1. 643. 500. 727 1.0 0.8 0.5 0.2 8.2 Harrison Barnes 7 7 31.7. 352. 310. 600 4.4 1.4 0.7 0.4 9.3 Andrew Bogut 5 5 12.0. 471. 000. 000 3.0 0.6 0.4 2.0 3.2 Ian Clark 0 4.8. 625. 600. 000 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 3.3 Stephen Curry 7 7 35.1. 403. 400. 929 4.9 3.7 0.9 0.7 22.6 Festus Ezeli 7 8.6. 300. 000. 500 1.9 0.4 0.1 0.1 2.0 Draymond Green 6 6 40.0. 486. 406. 783 10.3 6.3 1.7 1.0 16.5 Andre Iguodala 7 34.1. 466. 304. 333 6.3 4.1 0.9 0.7 9.1 Shaun Livingston 7 0 21.1. 511. 000. 857 3.4 2.9 0.3 0.3 8.3 James Michael McAdoo 0 6.1 1.000. 000. 000 1.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 1.3 Brandon Rush 0 5.5. 000. 000. 500 1.0 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.2 Marreese Speights 7 0 4.7. 222. 400 1.000 1.3 0.3 0.1 0.3 2.0 Klay Thompson 7 7 35.3. 427. 350. 786 3.0 1.9 1.0 0.6 19.6 Anderson Varejão 6 0 6.9. 000. 000. 500 1.3 1.0 0.2 0.0 1.2 Broadcast In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen as play - by - play commentator, and Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy serving as color commentators. ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Kevin Calabro and Hubie Brown as commentators. ESPN Deportes provided exclusive Spanish - language coverage of The Finals, with a commentary team of Álvaro Martín and Carlos Morales. Television ratings Game Ratings ( households ) American audience ( in millions ) 11.1 19.20 9.8 17.49 9.7 16.47 9.8 16.57 5 11.8 20.53 6 11.8 20.70 7 15.8 31.02 Avg 11.4 20.28 See also National Basketball Association portal Death lineup Cavaliers -- Warriors rivalry 2015 NBA Finals 2017 NBA Finals 2018 NBA Finals References Jump up ^ `` CANADIAN TV SCHEDULE -- 2015 -- 16 ''. NBA.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ McCauley, Janie ( June 19, 2016 ). `` James and Cavaliers win thrilling NBA Finals Game 7, 93 -- 89 ''. National Basketball Association. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ Ziegler, P.J ( June 19, 2016 ). `` Curse broken : Cleveland Cavaliers win NBA Championship ''. FOX 8 Cleveland. Retrieved June 19, 2016. Jump up ^ https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-nba-finals-game-7-061916 Jump up ^ Cato, Tim. `` Cavaliers vs. Raptors 2016 results : LeBron James advances to 6th straight NBA Finals with Game 6 win ''. sbnation.com. Retrieved May 28, 2016. Jump up ^ Fedor, Chris ( January 22, 2016 ). `` David Blatt fired by Cleveland Cavaliers ; Tyronn Lue elevated to head coach ''. The Plain Dealer. Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` David Blatt fired as Cavaliers coach ; Tyronn Lue to take over team ''. ESPN. Retrieved January 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Strauss, Ethan ( April 14, 2016 ). `` Epic history : Stephen Curry, Warriors surpass Bulls ' win record ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Mather, Victor ( May 5, 2016 ). `` Move Over, Warriors. Cavs Can Shoot 3s, Too ''. NY Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ McCauley, Janie ( May 17, 2016 ). `` Durant, Westbrook power Thunder past Warriors 108 -- 102 ''. NBA.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Jump up ^ Shelburne, Ramona ( February 10, 2016 ). `` Kerr battles lingering spinal - fluid issues, but coaches through pain ''. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors Silence the Thunder in Game 7, Series ''. NBA. May 30, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors up 1 -- 0 as Draymond Green, supporting cast key win ''. ESPN.com. June 3, 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` NBA finals, Game 1 : Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland Cavaliers -- as it happened ''. Guardian. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors whip Cavaliers 110 -- 77 to take 2 -- 0 NBA Finals lead ''. ESPN. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors, Resilient at Home, Cruise Against the Cavaliers ''. New York Times. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ Lynch, Andrew ( June 6, 2016 ). `` The Warriors are setting NBA Finals records by crushing the Cavs ''. FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Golden State Warriors humiliate Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA finals Game 2 ''. Guardian. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Golden State Warriors 90 -- 120 Cleveland Cavaliers -- as it happened ''. Guardian. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` LeBron James scores 32 as Cavs wallop Warriors, pull to 2 -- 1 ''. ESPN.com. June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Withers, Tom ( June 9, 2016 ). `` Love not medically cleared, will not play in Game 3 ''. NBA.com. Retrieved June 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cavaliers roar back to crush Warriors as Steph Curry 's struggles continue ''. Guardian. June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Cacciola, Scott ( June 10, 2016 ). `` Warriors Win and Move a Game Away From the N.B.A. Title ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Splish, splash : Curry, Thompson lead Warriors to Game 4 win ''. NBA.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Three charts on a record - setting night for Curry and the Warriors ''. ESPN.com. June 10, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors '' ( PDF ). nba.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Warriors Win and Move a Game Away From the N.B.A. Title ''. New York Times. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Golden State Warriors defeat Cleveland Cavaliers : NBA finals Game 4 -- as it happened ''. Guardian. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Jump up ^ Windhorst, Brian ( June 11, 2016 ). `` Sources : Ruling on Green - LeBron incident could come Sunday ''. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Branch, John ( June 13, 2016 ). `` Cavaliers Stave Off Elimination in N.B.A. Finals ''. New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Leung, Diamond ( June 12, 2016 ). `` NBA Finals : Warriors ' Draymond Green suspended for Game 5 by NBA ''. The Mercury News. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors : NBA finals Game 5 -- as it happened ''. Guardian. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Draymond Green to Watch Game 5 from Oakland Athletics stadium ''. The Sports Xchange. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Suspended Draymond Green to Watch Game 5 from Oakland A 's Coliseum, Declines 1st Pitch Offer ''. Lee Bailey 's EURWeb. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Suspended Draymond Green to Watch at A 's Game ''. SI Wire. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016. Jump up ^ Amick, Sam ( June 15, 2016 ). `` Andrew Bogut will miss remainder of NBA Finals with left knee injury ''. USA Today. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` LeBron goes for 41 as Cavs drop Warriors, force Game 7 of Finals ''. ESPN.com. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cavaliers thrash Warriors to force winner - take - all Game 7 in NBA finals ''. Guardian. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Golden State Warriors : NBA finals, Game 6 -- as it happened ! ''. Guardian. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016. Jump up ^ Araton, Harvey ( June 18, 2016 ). `` With Swat of Stephen Curry, LeBron James Jolted a Debate ''. The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Reynolds, Tim. `` Curry gets ejected late in Warriors ' Game 6 loss ''. NBA.com. Retrieved 17 June 2016. Jump up ^ Poole, Monte. `` Curry flips out in Game 6 of finals, takes first NBA ejection ''. csnbayarea.com. Retrieved 17 June 2016. Jump up ^ Chiari, Mike. `` Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr Fined for Game 6 Incidents in NBA Finals ''. bleacherreport.com. Jump up ^ `` Warriors ' Curry voted NBA 's first unanimous MVP ''. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Kevin Love came up with the biggest defensive stop of the entire NBA season ''. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 01. Jump up ^ `` The Biggest Stop Of Kevin Love 's Life ? It Was n't This One ''. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Cavaliers vs. Warriors - Game Recap - June 19, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ `` 13 Greatest Game 7 Performances In NBA Finals History ''. 2016 - 06 - 17. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ Schilling, Dave ( 2016 - 06 - 20 ). `` LeBron James leads Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA title and ends 52 - year drought ''. the Guardian. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ Gallo, D.J. ( 2016 - 06 - 20 ). `` Cleveland Cavaliers beat Golden State Warriors : NBA finals Game 7 -- as it happened ''. the Guardian. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Cavaliers become first team to rally from 3 -- 1 series deficit in NBA Finals ''. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Withers, Tom ( June 19, 2016 ). `` The End : Cleveland rocks as title drought ends in Finals ''. National Basketball Association. Associated Press. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ `` LeBron James wins NBA Finals MVP for 3rd time ''. National Basketball Association. Associated Press. June 19, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016. Jump up ^ `` LeBron James named unanimous Finals MVP after Cavs ' Game 7 win ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved June 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Ingrassia, Nunzio ( June 19, 2016 ). `` This unbelievable stat illustrates just how great LeBron James was in the Finals ''. Fox Sports. Retrieved June 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Vogel, Brandon ( June 20, 2016 ). `` Hot Reads : Tryonn ''. Hail Varsity. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Cleveland Cavaliers 93 - 89 Golden State Warriors : LeBron James helps end 52 - year drought to win first NBA championship in their history after completing remarkable comeback from 3 - 1 down ''. Daily Mail. June 20, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Cacciola, Scott ( June 19, 2016 ). `` Cavaliers Defeat Warriors to Win Their First N.B.A. Title ''. The New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Carafdo, Ben. `` 2016 NBA Finals Tip Off June 2 Exclusively on ABC : Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ''. Retrieved June 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Teri Couch ( June 3, 2016 ). `` NBA Finals Was Most - Watched & Highest - Rated Game 1 Ever on ABC ''. ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 3, 2016 ). `` Thursday final ratings : NBA Finals tops 2015 's Game 1, ' Big Bang ' adjusts up, ' American Grit ' down ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 8, 2016 ). `` Game 2 of NBA Finals Holds Up Well Despite Blowout ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 8, 2016 ). `` Sunday final ratings : Miss USA adjusts up, plus final NBA numbers ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 9, 2016 ). `` Stinkers Sinking NBA Finals, But Numbers Still Big ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 9, 2016 ). `` Wednesday final ratings : NBA Finals adjust up but lowest of series so far ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 14, 2016 ). `` Closer Game, But No Cigar For NBA Finals ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 13, 2016 ). `` Friday final ratings : Final NBA and Copa America numbers, ' Masters of Illusion ' adjusts down ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 14, 2016 ). `` NBA Finals Has Another Viewership Dip, But Nears Post-Jordan High ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 14, 2016 ). `` Monday final ratings : ' So You Think You Can Dance ' adjusts up, ' Reign ' and ' Whose Line ' ajdust down, final NBA numbers ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 17, 2016 ). `` Despite Fifth Straight Decline, NBA Finals Strong Entering Game 7 ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 17, 2016 ). `` Thursday final ratings : NBA Finals hits a high for 2016 ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Paulsen ( June 20, 2016 ). `` LeBron, Cleveland 's Game 7 Triumph Tops 30 Million Viewers ''. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Rick Porter ( June 21, 2016 ). `` Sunday final ratings : NBA Finals Game 7 adjusts up a little more ''. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 21, 2016. External links Official website 2016 NBA Finals at Basketball-Reference.com `` Final 3 : 39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals ''. NBA.com. December 24, 2016 -- via YouTube. NBA Finals Champions O'Brien Trophy Most Valuable Player Award Brown Trophy Championship ring Broadcasters Game sevens Droughts Streaks TV ratings 1940s 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 2000s 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 -- 16 NBA champions 0 Love 1 J. Jones 2 Irving 4 Shumpert 5 Smith 8 Dellavedova 9 Frye 12 McRae 13 Thompson 14 Kaun 20 Mozgov 23 James ( Finals MVP ) 24 Jefferson 30 Dah. Jones 52 Williams Head coach Lue Assistant coaches Brielmaier Boylan Drew Handy Longabardi Dam. Jones Posey Potapenko Regular season Playoffs Cleveland Cavaliers Founded in 1970 Based in Cleveland, Ohio Franchise History All - time roster Draft history 1970 Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Cleveland Arena Richfield Coliseum Quicken Loans Arena Personnel Owner ( s ) Dan Gilbert ( majority / chairman ) Gordon Gund ( minority ) Usher ( minority ) General manager Koby Altman Head coach Larry Drew ( interim ) G League affiliate Canton Charge Retired numbers 7 11 22 25 34 42 43 NBA Championships 2016 Rivalries Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors Culture and lore `` Cleveland Rocks '' Cleveland sports curse Joe Tait Ted Stepien rule The Block The Decision The Miracle of Richfield The Shot Golden State Warriors Founded in 1946 Played in Philadelphia ( 1946 -- 1962 ) and San Francisco ( 1962 -- 1971 ) Based in Oakland, California Franchise Franchise History All - time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Philadelphia Arena Philadelphia Convention Hall Cow Palace San Francisco Civic Auditorium USF War Memorial Gymnasium San Diego Sports Arena San Jose Arena Oracle Arena Chase Center Personnel Owner ( s ) Joe Lacob ( majority ) Peter Guber President Rick Welts General manager Bob Myers Head coach Steve Kerr G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors Retired numbers 13 14 16 17 24 42 NBA Championships 1947 1956 2015 2017 2018 Rivalries Cleveland Cavaliers Culture and lore 73 -- 9 Death Lineup Nate the Great Nellie Ball Run TMC Splash Brothers The Block The Sleepy Floyd game Warrior Girls Wilt the Stilt 100 - point game 2015 -- 16 NBA season by team Draft Summer League All - Star Game Playoffs Finals Transactions D - League Eastern Atlantic Boston Brooklyn New York Philadelphia Toronto Central Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee Southeast Atlanta Charlotte Miami Orlando Washington Western Northwest Denver Minnesota Oklahoma City Portland Utah Pacific Golden State L.A. 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'' `` The Block '' Christmas Day Rivalries Bryant -- O'Neal Lakers -- Pistons Celtics -- Lakers Cavaliers -- Warriors ESPN lore Pacers -- Pistons brawl Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2016_NBA_Finals&oldid=862253708 '' Categories : 2015 -- 16 NBA season National Basketball Association Finals Golden State Warriors games Cleveland Cavaliers games 2016 in sports in California 2016 in sports in Ohio 2010s in Oakland, California 2010s in Cleveland June 2016 sports events in the United States Sports competitions in Oakland, California Sports competitions in Cleveland Hidden categories : Wikipedia pending changes protected pages Use mdy dates from June 2016 Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Bahasa Indonesia Latviešu Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 3 October 2018, at 04 : 50 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: when did the cavaliers win the nba championship
Answer: The 2016 NBA Finals