Who Won the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA playoffs are underway and the race to the championship is heating up. Who do you think will take home the trophy this year?

The teams

The Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city’s name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. They play their home games at the Chase Center.

The Warriors won the 1967 NBA Finals, which marked the franchise’s first NBA championship victory. The team’s star player during this period was Rick Barry, who is considered one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history. The team later added greats such as Nate Thurmond and Chris Mullin to its championship core, which led to it winning two more titles in 1975 and 2015, respectively. Since 1962, minor league teams such as the San Francisco Warriors of the American Basketball Association (ABA) have tried to duplicate or surpass Golden State’s success, but none has yet matched it.

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. 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 from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played their home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland.

The Cavaliers nickname was inspired by writer Mark Twain’s 1863 novel Life on the Mississippi, in which he referred to a group of riverboats known as “great white fleet”. When LeBron James led the team to their first NBA Finals appearance in 2007, he caused a media frenzy when he zipped his jersey up to his neck during pre-game introductions, similar to how riverboat captains used to keep their prized possessions safe while sailing down treacherous waters.

The Cavaliers have appeared in five NBA Finals, winning the championship in 2016. They have advanced to nine NBA Finals appearances overall, second only behind the Los Angeles Lakers. As of 2020, they have won one conference title (2016), and seven division titles (1976, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). Their 43–17 record during the 2018–19 season marked a franchise record for wins in a season (including playoffs).

From 2010 to 2014, Cavalier players were ranked first among all NBA teams in sales of player-themed merchandise (including jerseys and headwear) for three consecutive seasons. LeBron James was named Cavalier Most Valuable Player three times between 2009 and 2013: during that stretch he also earned four All-Star game nods and All-NBA First Team honors five times. In May 2019 it was announced that minority owner Dan Gilbert had agreed to sell a controlling interest in the team to Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert; despite this change in ownership no changes were made to the management structure or front office of the team.

The players

In order to decide who won the NBA Playoffs, we need to take a look at the players. The players are the ones who ultimately decide the game, and they are the ones who receive the most recognition. So, let’s take a look at the players who won the NBA Playoffs.

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. James has won four NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA Championship, and was voted onto 13 NBA All-Star teams, 12 All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams.

Steph Curry

Stephen Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time NBA All-Star, he has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice and won three NBA championships with the Warriors. Many players and analysts have called him the greatest shooter in NBA history. He is credited with revolutionizing the game of basketball by inspiring teams to frequently utilize the three-point shot.

The outcome

The series

The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 2015–16 season and concluded the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4–3 in a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals.

The final score

The Finals are set and it’s the Golden State Warriors versus the Toronto Raptors. Game 1 tips off on Thursday, May 30th at 9:00pm ET. The Warriors are coming in as heavy favorites, but the Raptors have home court advantage. It’ll be a tough series for both teams, but only one can come out on top. Who will win the NBA Championship?