Kevin Durant was criticised by many for joining an already-stacked Golden State Warriors team last July but it is hard to question the move after watching how seamlessly he fit in with the NBA's newest super team.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 5 of the NBA Finals 129-120 on Monday night to lose the series in five games, Lue said that he does not see a "big gap" between his team and the Warriors.
Durant became the first player with five consecutive 30-point performances in the NBA Finals since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000.
Golden State Warriors fans were breakdancing at an intersection in downtown Oakland and honking their horns in the streets of San Francisco to celebrate their team's latest National Basketball Association title. James had just become the first player in National Basketball Association history to average a triple-double in the Finals after scoring 41 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists in Game 5 Monday night.
But in the meantime, I tip my cap to LeBron and the Cavaliers for being worthy champions and defending their crown until the end.
"I couldn't sleep for two days, I was anxious, I was jittery", Durant admitted after the game.
It all added up to Golden State's second championship in three years.
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Game DOESN'T hold back (when does he?) saying LeBron isn't on the level of The Mamba & his Airness, 'cause he's just done too much losing. Not even Stephen Curry's otherworldly play and Klay Thompson's pure shooting can win this matchup, even if Ron Harper, Steve Kerr and Randy Brown rounded out the Bulls backcourt. "They're built to last".
The game-changing spurt ended with a scuffle when Golden State's David West shoved Irving as he tried to grab the ball away. For those guys in the Hamptons recruiting Durant that day and all the others, they can't wait for more. If the Warriors got some breaks-Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs' best player, missed the final three games of the Western Conference finals with a sprained ankle-they dealt with adversity, too.
"The team we had, we were great, right where you want to be", said Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Kevin Durant wins not only the championship but also the Finals Most Valuable Player trophy. "Pretty much all their big-name guys are in their 20s, and they don't show any signs of slowing down".
"We were able to get them a year ago, and they went out and got one of the best players that this league has ever seen", James said. This year, he passed Michael Jordan in playoff scoring, Magic Johnson in playoff triple-doubles and became the first player to ever average a triple-double in the playoffs. I put in work, I just had to trust in it.
To paraphrase the late, great sports writer Frank Deford with a modern twist, you can yell on social media and scream on TV about who the greatest is, but no one truly knows. That achievement would have certified them as the only undefeated National Basketball Association playoff team ever.
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