Reliving the Greatest Comeback in NBA History: How Did They Do It?

I still get chills thinking about that 2016 NBA Finals. As someone who's studied basketball history for over a decade, I've never witnessed anything like what the Cleveland Cavaliers accomplished against the Golden State Warriors. When we talk about comebacks, this wasn't just coming back from a 3-1 deficit - it was defeating what many considered the greatest regular-season team in NBA history, a squad that had posted an incredible 73-9 record.

I remember watching Game 4 with my colleagues, and the atmosphere was downright funereal. The Warriors had just taken that commanding 3-1 lead, and statistically speaking, teams in that position had won the series 32 out of 33 times in NBA playoff history. The probability models gave Cleveland less than a 5% chance. But what struck me then, and what I've come to appreciate more deeply over time, is how the Cavaliers embodied that "unrivaled winning tradition" born from years of glory and perseverance. You could see it in LeBron James' eyes - he wasn't ready to let the story end there.

The turnaround began with what I consider one of the most underappreciated aspects of their comeback: the mental shift. Having analyzed countless championship teams, I've noticed that the great ones possess this almost supernatural ability to compartmentalize pressure. Down 3-1, the Cavs stopped playing not to lose and started playing with what I'd call "desperate confidence." In Games 5 and 6, we saw LeBron put up back-to-back 41-point performances while Kyrie Irving added 41 of his own in Game 5. The numbers themselves are staggering - they became the first teammates in NBA history to each score 40+ points in the same Finals game - but what impressed me more was their efficiency. LeBron shot over 50% from the field in both games while playing nearly every minute.

What often gets lost in the highlight reels is the defensive adjustment coach Tyronn Lue implemented after Game 4. They started switching everything, which disrupted the Warriors' fluid ball movement. Golden State, who had averaged 114 points in their first four games, suddenly couldn't buy a bucket consistently. I recall specifically how they held the Warriors to just 97 and 101 points in Games 5 and 6 - below their season average of 114.9. The defensive rating improvement was dramatic, dropping from about 115 in the first four games to around 102 in the final three.

Then came The Block. I've watched that sequence from Game 7 maybe a hundred times, and I'm still amazed by LeBron's chase-down of Andre Iguodala with 1:50 remaining. The athleticism required was otherworldly - he covered something like 90 feet in about 5 seconds - but what really made it special was the basketball IQ. LeBron started his sprint the moment he saw Iguodala receive the pass, anticipating the play before it fully developed. That's years of experience and film study manifesting in one critical moment.

Of course, we can't discuss this comeback without "The Shot" from Kyrie Irving. With 53 seconds left and the game tied at 89-89, Irving isolated against Stephen Curry and hit what became the championship-winning three-pointer. The degree of difficulty was insane - a step-back three over the league's MVP. What many don't realize is that Irving had been working on that exact move in practice for months. I spoke with one of their assistant coaches later who told me Kyrie would stay after practice taking those exact shots until he made 25 in a row. That's the perseverance part of their winning tradition - the unseen work that prepares you for legendary moments.

The final piece that often gets overlooked is Kevin Love's defense on Curry in that final minute. Love, who had struggled defensively throughout the series, stayed in front of Curry on a crucial switch, forcing a difficult step-back three that missed. That possession symbolized their collective growth - everyone contributing in ways beyond their traditional roles.

When I reflect on that championship now, what stands out isn't just the historical significance of Cleveland winning its first major sports title in 52 years, or the fact that they were the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. It's how perfectly they demonstrated that winning tradition isn't just about talent - it's about resilience, adaptability, and that almost irrational belief in themselves when everyone else had written them off. The Cavaliers' 2016 victory created a blueprint for mental toughness that teams still study today. They showed us that no matter how dire the circumstances appear, with the right mindset and relentless effort, even the most improbable comebacks are possible. And that's a lesson that transcends basketball - it's about what we're all capable of when we refuse to quit.