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Dates | June 2–19 | |||||||||
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MVP | LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) | |||||||||
Eastern finals | Cavaliers defeated Raptors, 4–2 | |||||||||
Western finals | Warriors defeated Thunder, 4–3 | |||||||||
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The best-of-seven playoffs was played between the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors in a rematch of the previous year's Finals. It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history, and the second straight rematch in back-to-back years, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014. The series was played from June 2 to 19.
Coming off a record-breaking league-best record of 73–9, the Warriors won three of their first four games before the Cavaliers rallied to win the last three games to clinch their NBA championship, thus ending the Cleveland sports curse. They became the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 3–1 deficit. This also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team and as of 2024, this is the most recent NBA Finals to feature a Game 7. LeBron James was unanimously voted the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading all players in a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, the first for a player in NBA history. The series is widely regarded as one of the greatest Finals of all time.