The Warriors and Cavaliers making their third straight NBA Finals. LeBron James passing Michael Jordan for the most points scored in NBA Playoff history.
There are a ton of storylines entering into 2017 NBA Finals, but let us never forget that these teams legitimately hate each other.
The 2015 Finals and fallout
It’s here where the teams first met in a championship series. The Cavaliers hobbled into the finals being a shadow of themselves. Kevin Love was out with an injury thanks to Kelly Olynyk earlier in the playoffs, Kyrie Irving had a knee injury, and in general we didn’t see the best of what Cleveland had to offer.
While the basketball world had justifications why the Cavaliers didn’t put up more of a fight, Stephen Curry was happy to keep reminding them of their loss.
2016, the hate grows
In January, on a road trip to Cleveland, Curry told the media that he hoped the visiting locker room still felt welcoming to them:
“Obviously, walking in the locker room, it'll be good memories. Hopefully, it still smells a little bit like champagne.”
A few months later, the Cavs and Warriors would meet again in the 2016 NBA Finals, and the ill will festered, eventually spilling over in Game 4 when Draymond Green hit LeBron James in the groin and was suspended.
Comments spilled into the media and eventually onto social media with barbs being traded back and forth.
Klay Thompson said of LeBron:
"I'm surprised some guys take it so personal. It's a man's league. I guess (LeBron's) feelings got hurt."
The collapse of a lead, birth of pure hatred
Don’t let all this history distract you from the fact the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, which added a new chapter to the feud. While celebrating, LeBron wore an Ultimate Warrior shirt, which is an obvious diss — but he later claimed it was unrelated. (Yeah LeBron, we totally believe you.
Turnabout is fair play, and just as Steph made his crack about the Cavs’ visiting locker room smelling like champagne, the Cavs weren’t going to let the Warriors forget about their collapse.
This prompted Draymond Green to tell NBA.com exactly what he wanted to do to the Cavaliers if they met again in the finals:
“I want to completely destroy them. No ifs, ands or buts about it. That won’t change. I’m not saying we’re going to look forward to that. Like I said, there’s a long road ahead. And it’ll be a tough, tough road to get there. Nonetheless, if we get there, and they get there, I want to destroy them. Really ain’t no other way to put it.”
This time, Iman Shumpert of the Cavs joined the fray to respond in Complex.
“I’m glad he said that ’cause we gon’ bust they ass, too. You need to type that up: We gon bust your ass. Period.”
Is this the NBA’s greatest current rivalry? Most people would probably say yes, but not LeBron. He still maintains there’s no rivalry between the Warriors and Cavaliers, despite Green saying there absolutely is. Gamesmanship from the king? Probably — but one thing is certain: These teams loathe each other, and it’s about to pop off again.
