The 2016 Finals were unlike any other we had ever seen, especially in the modern era. On one side stood the Golden State Warriors, who had just wrapped up a historic 73-9 season. At the other end were the Cleveland Cavaliers, who looked to avenge their 2015 Finals defeat.
The Warriors indeed had everything going for them, whether it was emerging as the greatest regular-season team of all time or Stephen Curry being named the first-ever unanimous MVP. Staring at a repeat, Steve Kerr and crew did not know the suspense that awaited them ahead.
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Closing in on their second consecutive championship, the Warriors lost a 3-1 lead to the Cavaliers in the Finals, marking one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.
The shocking outcome drew strong reactions from all sides, including Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, who commented on the situation.
“I think it’s more a testament to LeBron’s greatness. I think that if you reflect on last year, LeBron played this team to a Game 6, and he was without Kyrie, without Kevin Love, J.R. Smith had one of the worst Finals…he really dominated last year. The difference this year was that he dominated them again, but Kyrie was the game-changer,”said Pippen, addressing what could have possibly contributed to the embarrassing defeat.
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Scottie did give the Warriors their due for a great regular season. Still, he believed breaking the 72-10 record never guaranteed a championship.
Not serving the purpose
In recent years, Pippen has been highly critical of the comparisons between the Warriors and the Bulls. The veteran forward strongly felt that the subject had no scope for debate, as Golden State had failed to achieve its primary objective at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.
“The argument is the greatest team in the regular season,” he said. “It was the Chicago Bulls. Now, that’s a challenge for them now because they’re still playing, but you can’t win 73 games and lose. You can’t be considered the greatest team.
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“You didn’t win a championship. The team before you did. They’re better than that team because they won a championship, but the team that won 73 games for them that wasn’t the greatest team. Something happened,” added Pippen, who played 12 seasons in Chicago.
Shedding further light on the comparisons between the Warriors and the Bulls, Pippen once stated how he did not think Curry would have the same impact had he played in the 90s. He believed the two-time MVP benefited from the game being less physical today.
Strengthening his stance further was the fact that the 2015 Finals went till Game Six, despite the absence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
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Discussion about LeBron being Co-Finals MVP in 2015
There is no denying that Andre Iguodala rightly deserved to win Finals MVP in 2015. That said, James had put up one of the greatest shows in basketball despite having a short-handed roster. The Cavaliers forward averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
James led both teams in points, rebounds, and assists, with fans wanting the NBA to make an exception, similar to the one made for Jerry West in 1969. Nevertheless, LeBron managed to get his revenge the following year, leading the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA title.
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The Warriors did suffer a shocking collapse in the 2016 Finals, but one cannot discount James’s greatness in those matchups. LeBron delivered the goods every time between the 2015 and 2018 Finals despite not having the desired help.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.