Exhibit Zer0

Mike Molyneaux

If you ever had any doubt that the Golden State Warriors would not win the 2015 NBA Finals, you might want to double-check your basketball knowledge.

In what was a very entertaining series, filled with both great team and individual performances, the Warriors ended the Cleveland Cavaliers, or the “Cleveland LeBron’s”, season in game 6 of the Finals. 

The Warriors capped off an unbelievable season finishing 67-15 , where they were led by a rookie head coach in Steve Kerr, the 2015 NBA MVP Stephen Curry, and one of the deepest benches in recent history.

Even with such an historical run that Golden State had this season, their triumph will forever be associated with, and might even take a backseat to the self-proclaimed, “best player in the world” and the fact that he couldn’t get the job done. 

From the moment Lebron James decided he was returning to Cleveland, it was clear that he had to become a type of leader he has never been before in order for the Cavaliers to reach the success that they did. Despite the Cavs early struggles during the regular season, he was the leader that they needed and it carried them to the second seed in the east.

A playoff run was never a question for this year’s Cavalier team. A playoff run without the two other all-stars on the team is what nobody ever imagined. Losing Kevin Love for the rest of the playoffs after a first-round sweep of the Boston Celtics was a blow to the team, but not a major one knowing you still had James and Kyrie Irving leading the way. Once Irving became hobbled with various leg injuries in the semi-finals against the Chicago Bulls, you could see the majority of the workload shifting to Lebron’s shoulders. 

Despite the injuries, in the Eastern Conference Finals, Lebron James single-handedly took out the Atlanta Hawks in four games, leading up to a Finals match-up between King James and the Golden State Warriors. 

On paper, knowing that there was no Kevin Love and a not 100% Kyrie Irving, these two teams were not evenly matched, but having the Finals experience that Lebron has and being arguably the best player in the NBA, you couldn’t completely count the Cavs out.

In game 1, it looked as if injuries wouldn’t hold Kyrie Irving back and he was destined to be the partner-in-crime the LeBron needed. Once he went down and was ruled out for the remainder of the series, the Cavs fate seemed to be sealed.

Regardless of the roster and who was in and out of the rotation, LeBron James went forward and put on one of the greatest NBA Finals performances that we may ever see. Averages of 36 PPG, 13 REBS, and 9 ASTS, playing 46 minutes a night shows a man who not only was the best player on the court, but a man who had to do everything in order for his team to be successful.

Through the first 3 games, it looked as if LeBron had his troops ready for battle, and the bright lights of the Finals might have been too much for Steph Curry and company. 

Then, game 4 happened in Cleveland.

With the Warriors desperate for a win, coach Steve Kerr made adjustments to the lineup and rotations, and we finally got a look at the real Golden State team that won a franchise record 67 games. 

What also helped the Warriors much improved play was the fact that LeBron started to look like fatigue was becoming a factor, and the inconsistent play of J.R. Smith, and the rest of what Cleveland called a supporting cast in this series just couldn’t keep up with the NBA’s best team.

Stephen Curry is probably the best player on the Golden State Warriors, but this team was so deep that anyone could step up any night have a major impact, which is made prevalent with Andre Iguodala winning the Finals MVP.