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LeBron James knew that the Cleveland Cavaliers had mentally defeated Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors after Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals. James and Kyrie Irving willed the Cavaliers that year to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA championship.
In the "More Than An Athlete" series on ESPN+ released in 2019, footage from Cleveland's locker room after their Game 6 win was shown. "The King" addressed his teammates and called what he saw from the Warriors. He knew that Golden State was already beaten heading into Game 7.
"They're f***ed mentally and physically," James said. "I'm telling you, they f***ed."
LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-101 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 6. James finished the game with 41 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and three blocks.
Kyrie Irving added 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, while Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 14 rebounds. The Cavaliers forced a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
"The King" felt the momentum going their way after two huge wins at Golden State for Game 5 and at home in Game 6. The final game of the season was in Oakland in front of a hostile crowd.
Game 7 was a close contest, with Kyrie Irving hitting a 3-point shot over Steph Curry with less than a minute left in the game to give the Cavs the lead. LeBron James made a clutch block to preserve their lead, while Kevin Love locked down Curry on the final possession as Cleveland finally won their first championship.
LeBron James and Steph Curry to face each other again in the playoffs
For the first time since 2018, LeBron James and Steph Curry will face each other in the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors are set to battle the LA Lakers in a very interesting and entertaining matchup in the Western Conference semifinals.
James and Curry have faced each other 22 times in the postseason, all in the NBA Finals. Curry has the lead in their matchup with 15 wins against seven defeats. However, "The King" does have the sweetest victory, which was Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
The Lakers dominated the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 to qualifity for the next round. Anthony Davis showed up in the series, while James never needed to do the heavy lifting due to their depth.
Meanwhile, Curry had to carry the Warriors in Game 7 of their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings. It was all about the championship experience for Golden State and will look to use it against their showdown against the Lakers.
