LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in NBA history during the 2016 NBA Finals, defeating the Golden State Warriors after being down 3-1 in the series.
James has impressed plenty throughout his career, arguably the greatest player to ever step on the court. However, his 3-1 comeback against a loaded Warriors team might’ve been the most impressive thing he's ever done when factoring in the talent on both sides.
The Warriors, by far the best team in basketball at the time, were significantly better than the Cavaliers.
Despite that reality, they didn't have James walking through the door, and that made all the difference.
When speaking with Steve Nash on a recent episode of “Mind the Game,” James talked about what he told his teammates before the historic comeback.
"We're going to win Game 5. Like, I can feel it. We're going to win Game 5. I know you guys are upset about losing Game 4 at home. But whatever you got, just bring it with you to Golden State.
“I promise you, if we get back to Cleveland for Game 7, there will be a Game 7. And I'll take it from there. Like, I just need y'all to lock in, whatever. I know y'all aren't going to have much sleep. They're not gonna sleep after losing Game 4 because we had our chances and they just they took off on us in Game 4. But once we win Game 5 in Golden State," James said.
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During that postseason, James averaged 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks.
He won the finals MVP and his third championship that year, only adding to his legacy at the time.