NBA History: Looking at all the NBA Champions since 2000

#6 Cleveland Cavaliers - 1 championship (2016)

2016 NBA Finals - Game Seven

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their prodigal son return to his native State Ohio to once again lead their franchise 4 years after “the decision” to leave for Miami. A franchise that had been in rebuild mode since their 2003 1st overall draftee left in the summer of 2010 was immediately made relevant and dangerous to play against.

In fact, this edition of the Cavaliers represented the East in the NBA Finals from 2015-18 for 4 straight years. They did win one NBA title in 2016. The Cavaliers did it in dramatic fashion as well. Having lost the previous year to the same Golden State Warriors, the 2016 NBA Finals was on the verge of being handed to the Warriors again. However, with the Cavaliers trailing the series 3-1, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving dropped a combined 81 points in game 5 (the first time two finals teammates both scored 40).

James followed that performance up with a 41 point 11 assist double-double in game 6 to even the series at 3-3. In game 7, the Cavaliers held the vaunted Warriors offense scoreless over the last 4:30 seconds of the game to become the first team to ever win an NBA Title while trailing in the series 3 games to 1. However, even after this MVP Finals performance by LeBron James, the Cavs would lose 3 of 4 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.`