It has been several years since the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors last clashed in the NBA Finals, but their historic matchups in the late 2010s remain a hot topic of discussion—and will likely continue to be remembered for generations.
From 2015 to 2018, the Cavaliers and Warriors met in the NBA Finals for four consecutive seasons. These matchups featured LeBron James and Stephen Curry at the forefront, with Kevin Durant joining the Warriors in 2017 after signing with the team in 2016.
In a recent discussion featuring all three basketball legends, James likened the intensity of their rivalry to the East Coast vs. West Coast rap feud of the 1990s.
‘Those four straight years, Cleveland versus Golden State… It was literally like East Coast versus West Coast… It was like a rap beef,” the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player said, via ESPN.
A Legendary Finals Rivalry
The saga began in 2015 when the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games. LeBron James, left without significant help, carried Cleveland after Kevin Love was sidelined with a shoulder injury and Kyrie Irving played just one game before suffering a knee injury in Game 1.
The following year, the Cavaliers achieved a historic comeback. Trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals, Cleveland forced a Game 7 and clinched the championship on the road, becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.
In response to their 2016 collapse, the Warriors acquired Kevin Durant in the offseason, signing him to a two-year, $54.3 million deal. Durant’s addition made Golden State nearly unstoppable. In the 2017 Finals, the revamped Warriors overpowered the Cavaliers, taking the series in five games.
The rivalry concluded in 2018 when the Warriors swept the Cavaliers 4-0, marking the end of their Finals clashes.
Rex, a Communication Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, claims to channel JR Smith’s fearless shot selection. He boasts fantasy league championships in basketball, baseball, and football—all within a single year.
