LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA championship is still one of the greatest stories in 75 years of NBA history. The King returned to Cleveland two years before to get revenge and win the elusive title he couldn’t get during his first stint with the team.
That was a magical run for the Cavs, who beat the odds against the best regular-season team of all time. The 73-win Warriors were 3-1 after four games, with everybody seeing them as the champions. Nobody had returned from such a deficit, and LeBron’s Cavs did it.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recently named that the ‘most badass’ moment in NBA history. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar recently starred in his ‘It’s Actually Me’ interview with GQ, discussing several topics. He talked about his comparisons with other players, what makes him special, and the most incredible moment in league history (1:50).
“When LeBron was down 3-1, and he was able to get his team together, he was able to lock in and get the job done. It takes a lot from a leader, because at that moment you feel so much pressure. “When you’re down 3-1 and most of your teammates are thinking, ‘It’s over with. I’m about to go to vacation, I’m about to go spend some time with my family.’ I think he did a great job, just bring his team together, try to keep all the emotions out and just go and compete a game at a time. And, I think it didn’t only take a toll physically, but mentally also, because he had to be in the moment. He could not think that would be the last game of the season, could not think about what’s gonna happen next. He was taking a moment at a time. In my opinion. The way I watched it. I viewed it.”
LeBron did a terrific job leading a team that probably thought what Giannis said about vacations and spending time with their loved ones. Still, James had different plans, he could get his teammates to be on the same page as him and the result was a championship after returning from a 3-1 deficit.
Giannis lived something similar last season, but he returned from a 2-0 deficit against the Phoenix Suns in the Finals. The Bucks won four straight games, with the Greek Freak dominating, sealing the deal for his team, winning the first title in 50 years for Milwaukee.
He knows what it takes to win a championship and what LeBron did is even more laudable. He had his back against the wall and the Warriors looked ready to win the title. James told otherwise and the Cavs won their first and only NBA championship pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
