Jun 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; A view of the NBA Finals logo on the scoreboard during practice prior to the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
With the end of the year on the horizon, it is time to take a look back at the biggest NBA storylines from 2016.
The NBA had its fair share of interesting storylines over the past 12 months. During that time, we saw a Golden State Warriors team break a win-loss record that stood for 20 years en route to stamping itself as the greatest “regular-season team” ever. The caveat here is they failed to cement their historic season with a championship.
There were two instances in which teams came back from a 3-1 deficit to win their respective playoff series. Along with that, the Toronto Raptors not only advanced past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001, they also pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to six games in their first ever conference finals appearance.
Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the NBA family — as well as the sports world in general — lost one if its most colorful commentators in Craig Sager, who passed away at the age of 65 following a two-year battle with cancer.
So with plenty of noteworthy options to choose from, here is a look back at some of the biggest NBA storylines from 2016.
Jul 7, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left), Kevin Durant (center), and general manager Bob Myers (right) pose for a photo during a press conference after Durant signed with the Warriors at the Warriors Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
5. Kevin Durant Signs With Warriors
After dispatching the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round of the playoffs, Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder had to get past the Warriors in order to earn the team’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
Despite taking three of the first four games, the Thunder failed to close the deal, as the Warriors became the 10th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a playoff series. In light of that playoff defeat, Durant — a four-time scoring champion and former MVP — decided to join forces with the team that knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs.
How is that decision working out for Durant? Two words: quite nicely.
Not only is KD leading the team in points (26.1), rebounds (8.8) and blocks per game (1.6), he has also helped the Dubs jump out to a league-best 28-5 start. That being said, Durant’s addition has been a win-win so far for both sides.
Feb 19, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (14) and center Tim Duncan (21) defend against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
4. Pair Of NBA Legends Hang Up Their Sneakers
Tim Duncan was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. During his 19 seasons with the franchise, he helped lead the Spurs to five championships.
Although the Spurs never repeated as champions, they won at least 50 games in each of those seasons, with the exception of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign.
Since Duncan’s arrival, the Spurs compiled a 1,072-438 regular-season record — the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and tops in the four major U.S. sports over the past 19 years, per ESPN.
Additionally, the Spurs were a playoff team every season of his 19-year tenure and they finished with the best record in the western conference seven times. Needless to say, Duncan’s presence had a lot to do with that.
In what proved to be his final game of the season, Duncan scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds in Game 6 of the conference semifinals against the Thunder — by far his best outing of the series.
One of the Duncan’s greatest playoff foes — Kobe Bryant — also decided to call it quits following 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. As was the case with Duncan, Bryant played an integral role in helping the Lakers win five championships.
But unlike Duncan, Bryant announced his intention to retire early on in the 2015-16 campaign, stating that he just didn’t have the desire to suit up anymore.
“Finally, I just had to just accept the fact that I don’t want to do this anymore, and I’m OK with that,” Bryant told ESPN. “Once I accepted that, then it became time to just let everybody know. I mean, why not? It just takes a load off my shoulders and everybody else’s. It’s just the right thing to do.”
True to his often defiant personality, Bryant did not go out with a whimper. In the final game of his illustrious career, he scored 60 points on 22-for-40 shooting, much to the delight of the home fans.
Although both players felt it was time to move on to the next stages of their lives, they leave behind a plethora of memorable moments that NBA fans won’t soon forget.
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; NBA broadcaster Craig Sager gets a standing ovation during game six of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
3. NBA Family Loses One Of Its Own
When it came to watching games on TNT, one of the things that NBA fans always looked forward to was the sideline reporting done by none other than Craig Sager. His insights about the game, along with his upbeat personality, made his interviews must-see television.
In fact, I will take it a step further by saying that those interviews were nearly as entertaining as the game that was taking place on the hardwood.
Sadly, the NBA lost one of its own earlier this month, as Sager passed away at the age of 65 after a two-plus year battle with leukemia.
After a long battle with cancer, Craig Sager has passed away at age 65. #SagerStrong https://t.co/je76IOqGSh
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) December 15, 2016
While some of us will remember his selection of colorful suits, what actually made Sager so extraordinary was his demeanor despite the fact that he was facing a life-threatening disease.
RIP, Craig Sager. You showed us that it's not what a man faces but how he faces it that truly matters. #sagerstrong
— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) December 15, 2016
In light of such adversity, no one would have blamed Sager for stepping away from his work. Instead, he chose to do the thing he truly loved to the very end while serving as a inspiration to us all.
Rest in paradise Mr. Sager. You will be sorely missed.
April 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Xavier Munford (14) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli (31) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
2. Warriors Set NBA Record With 73 Wins
I saw that 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that won an astounding 72 games. At the time they registered what was then the greatest regular season in NBA history, I thought that record was unbreakable.
Fast forward 20 years later, the Warriors started the 2015-16 campaign winning their first 24 games — the best start in league history. And after 78 games, the Dubs needed to win each of their remaining four games to surpass that Bulls team.
In the final game of the season, the Warriors thumped the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 to cap off their historic season.
Additionally, the Dubs led the league in scoring; set a record for most road wins (34), led the NBA in three-point shooting (41.6 percent) and point differential (+10.8).
Although the Warriors had a season for the ages, they came up one win short of repeating as champions.
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and the Cavaliers celebrate the championship victory against the Golden State Warriors following game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
1. Cavaliers Win First-Ever NBA Title
When LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2014, his one goal was to win a title. He failed in his first attempt as the Cavs were upended by the Warriors in six games in the 2015 Finals.
In 2016, James was given a second chance to beat a Warriors team that was clicking on all cylinders. But after falling behind 3-1, it appeared that James and the Cavs were heading towards a similar fate as the year before.
With the odds stacked against them, though, the Cavs reeled off three consecutive victories to win the franchise’s first title.
What makes the Cavaliers’ championship run so improbable was the fact that no team had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in a Finals series. Secondly, no team had beaten the Warriors three straight times during the regular season or playoffs.
Given the magnitude of their accomplishment, the Cavs get the nod as the top NBA story from 2016.
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