Who Won Last Year’s NBA Championship?

The Golden State Warriors won the 2017 NBA Championship.

The Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors won the 2017 NBA Finals, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to start the playoffs 12–0, and the first to finish the postseason 16–1.

Regular Season Record

The Warriors set the NBA regular-season wins record with 73, going 73-9. They broke the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ mark of 72-10.

Key Players

The Golden State Warriors are a professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Warriors have reached eight NBA Finals in their history, winning four championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, and most recently in 2015 when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors’ current core group of players includes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Kevon Looney, and Jordan Bell. This group has been together since 2014–15 and has helped lead the team to three NBA Finals appearances and two championships over that span.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. They began play in 1970 as an expansion team. Last year, they won the NBA championship.

Regular Season Record

The Regular Season Record is the record of the team during the course of the 82-game regular season.

As of the end of the 2016-17 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a regular season record of 50 wins and 32 losses.

Key Players

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played their home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland.

The Cavaliers name was chosen by owner Paul Brown. Brown chose the name as a tribute to Ohio’s rich history with the sport of basketball. The Cavaliers debuted their original uniforms on October 17, 1970 which featured a white and navy color scheme. The team has used white as its primary home uniform color ever since.

LeBron James is one of the key players on the Cleveland Cavaliers. James was drafted by the Cavs out of high school with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. He became an instant star and helped lead the Cavs to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007. After leaving Cleveland to join the Miami Heat in 2010, James returned to his hometown Cavaliers in 2014 and led them to their first NBA championship in 2016. Other key players on the 2016 championship team include Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

The Finals

It was the Lakers and the Heat in last year’s finals. The Lakers had home court advantage, but the Heat were coming in hot, having won 11 straight games. The Lakers won the first game, but the Heat took games two and three. The Lakers came back strong and took game four. Game five was a must-win for the Heat, and they came out victorious. The Lakers had one last chance to win the series in game six, but the Heat came out on top and won their second consecutive championship.

Game 1

The Warriors won the first game of the Finals, 124-114. Stephen Curry scored 28 points and Kevin Durant had 26.

Game 2

In one of the most unpredictable and thrilling NBA Finals games in recent memory, the Golden State Warriors triumphed over the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-97 in Game 2 to even the series at 1-1.

Down by as many as 13 points in the first half, it looked like the Warriors might be heading for a 2-0 deficit in the series. However, they buckled down on defense and outscored the Cavaliers 33-16 in the third quarter to take control of the game.

Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with 28 points, while Kevin Durant added 18 points and Draymond Green had a triple double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. For the Cavaliers, LeBron James had 29 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, but it wasn’t enough to get them a win.

With the series now even at 1-1, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will win Game 3.

Game 3

In a closeout game, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 106–93 to win the 2020 NBA Finals. It was the 17th NBA championship for the Lakers franchise, tying them with the Boston Celtics for the most all-time. LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP for a record-tying fourth time.

Game 4

The Finals Game 4 was played on June 16, 2016, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-97 to complete a sweep of the best-of-seven series and win their second consecutive NBA Championship.

Game 5

The Warriors won the championship in Game 5 with a score of 105-97. Kevin Durant was named the Finals MVP.

Game 6

The Cavaliers entered Game 6 with a 3–2 lead in the best of seven series. Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, was ruled out for the game due to soreness in his left knee. Cavs forward LeBron James had a triple double with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored 26 points. Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored 30 points, while forward Draymond Green had a team-high 32 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. After being down 82–81 early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers went on an 11–0 run to take a 92–81 lead with 5:13 left in the game. The Cavaliers held on to win, 115–101, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to come back from a 3–1 deficit to win the championship. James was named NBA Finals MVP for the third time in his career.

Game 7

The Finals are the last series of the NBA playoffs. The two teams left standing compete for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, and the title of NBA champion.

Last year, the Finals were between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors won in five games, giving them their second consecutive championship and third title in four years.