The Golden State Warriors went to five straight NBA Finals in the 2010s, and they might have forged a GOAT in the process.
Over the past several years, the NBA media landscape has obsessed over the GOAT debate. Arguing whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time, there is no shortage of cases to be made on either side.
While Jordan has a 6-0 record in the NBA Finals, James has arguably the best championship in league history, coming back from down 3-1 in the 2016 Finals to beat the Warriors. That was the only year that James’ Cavaliers beat the Warriors across four straight meetings, but some would argue that one means more than the other three combined.
James has since reflected on his incredible feat and didn’t hold back on what he believes that title means for his legacy.
What @kingjames considers being the GOAT 🐐
New episode of More Than An Athlete out on @espn+. pic.twitter.com/7XSQ2GpOVo— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) December 30, 2018
“That one right there made me the greatest player of all time,” James said. “That’s what I felt. I was super, super ecstatic to win one for Cleveland because of the 52-year drought.”
The 2016 NBA Finals matchup is often regarded as one of the best championship matchups in sports history. After the 73-9 Warriors went up 3-1, James led Cleveland to wins in Games 5, 6 and 7, capping the series off with the most memorable block in league history in the final minutes of the deciding game.
Considering he was battling Stephen Curry in his unanimous MVP season and facing an overall juggernaut in that Warriors squad, there’s no questioning that James’ legacy wouldn’t be what it is today without going against one of the greatest teams of all time.
