The Golden State Warriors are once again NBA champions. You can hate them, but you can’t deny their greatness.
The Warriors’ brief, painful NBA championship drought is over
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The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 129-120 in a hard-fought Game 5 to clinch the 2017 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant was the unanimous and deserving Finals MVP, having scored 39 on hyper-efficient shooting in the clincher. Meanwhile, LeBron James became the first player to ever average a triple-double in a Finals series of any length, and Stephen Curry, as Paul Flannery writes eloquently, had a masterful redemptive series capping off his season of sacrifice.
It really, really doesn’t matter that LeBron lost another Finals: the Cavs were outgunned. LeBron immediately hugged Durant at the buzzer, and told Kyrie Irving in the tunnel that “we’ll be back.”
Durant and his mother Wanda got the celebration they’ve long awaited, a Nike ad perfectly encapsulated KD’s career, decision, and triumph, and there’s a case that Durant is already one of the greatest players ever.
But the real hero of this story: JaVale McGee, who accurately declared on Twitter that he is the only person in the world with a rat tail and an NBA championship.
The postgame speeches were good. But two stick out. First, LeBron asserted that he needs to sit down and think about what to do in a Warriors league. That’s important. Second, Draymond Green announced that he had a speech mocking the Cavaliers all worked out, but trashed it because he respects the opponent so much. That’s big of you, Dray. (Ten bucks says he unleashes it at the parade.)
Important mythology correction: Durant was spitting out the beer he chugged in the locker room.
Charlotte Wilder collects and sorts the 27 best moments from the Finals.
The hottest new accessory for the Warriors’ celebration? BABIES.
Speaking of which, Riley Curry stunted way more than any kid has a right to in this awesome shot.
Beautiful treatise on Klay Thompson’s uncluttered mind from Flanns before Game 5.
I wrote about Kyrie Irving, the point guard version of Carmelo Anthony.
We had a good old-fashioned staredown between David West and Tristan Thompson during the game.
Briefly, away from the Finals ...
Terrance Ferguson went to play professionally for a year in Australia instead of spending a season in college. He wants other high-end high school prospects to do the same.
There’s a rumor that indicates the Lakers are hot on Josh Jackson, which could mean they pass on Lonzo Ball.
New NBA mock draft from Ricky O’Donnell looking at each team taking the best player available.
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