The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals.
The internet loves nothing more than a punchline, and somehow the above sentence has become a meme almost on the level of Crying Jordan and tributes to Harambe. Don’t believe me? “The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals” has even made it to College GameDay and presidential debates in recent weeks, even though the NBA Finals took place four months ago.
https://twitter.com/JeremyWoo/status/791061288881364992
It was a historic comeback by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals when they became the first team to overturn a 3-1 deficit and win the series. It’s one of the more momentous comebacks in the history of sports and nobody is going to let the Warriors forget about it anytime soon. That’s especially true of the Cavaliers, who have included a nod to the way last year’s Finals unfolded with their championship rings that were handed out before the season opening game against the New York Knicks.
The Cavs’ rings aren’t exactly subtle with a meager 400 DIAMONDS, but who could blame them after winning the first title in franchise history.
However, it’s what is underneath that is where the real treasure lies. On the bottom side of the ring are seven stones in the exact order of games that the Cavs won and lost in the NBA Finals. The three wine-colored stones at the end naturally represent the 3 games to 1 comeback.
Cavs rings remind Warriors they blew a 3-1 lead. Bottom part of ring has 3-1 in garnet stones. pic.twitter.com/SGnkwe9cgG
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 25, 2016
As for the game itself, the Cavs stomped the Knicks 117-88 on opening night. Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and LeBron James picked up where he left off in Game 7 of the Finals by securing another triple double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Also, the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the Finals.