Jun 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second quarter in game four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

LeBron James Makes Surprising Statement Revisiting Warriors Rivalry

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated May 27, 2025 4:08 PM ET

In terms of NBA Champions and Finals matchups, there hasn't been a repeat champion or repeat matchup since the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers faced off for four years in a row. While the Warriors were able to take three of those four matchups, they lost the one that mattered the most as they allowed a 3-1 comeback during their 73-9 season.

On a recent episode of 'Mind The Game' with LeBron James and Steve Nash, the two NBA legends discussed the 2016 Finals, where James and the Cavaliers made that unprecedented 3-1 comeback. A major storyline from that series was Draymond Green's suspension, as James opened up about how he viewed the absence.

On the topic of those finals, Nash asked James, "With Draymond out for Game 5, did you guys feel a certain sense of opportunity, or did you think Oracle is just tough to play in?"

“No, we felt it was going to be even tougher. Because role players play even better at home," James responded. "We knew what Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] was gonna bring, but we know Leandro Barbosa, [Marreese Speights], Harrison Barnes, [Andre Iguodala]...."

Green was absolutely stellar in that series against Cleveland, leading all scorers in Game 7 with 32 points as well as 15 rebounds. However, without his defense out there in Game 5, Kyrie Irving and James both scored 41 points, and Thompson and Curry didn't have enough help to push them to a series-clinching win.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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