You’ve gotta hand it to the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are champions. Again. The Warriors smoked the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals to win the series and their third championship in four years. This is a straight-up dynasty, the first under a strict definition since the Lakers early this century.

Kevin Durant won Finals MVP, meaning that Stephen Curry now has three rings and no Russell trophies (despite really good Finals numbers overall). On the one hand, Durant deserved it. On the other hand, weird.

Speaking of hands! LeBron and the media revealed after the fact that King James suffered major damage to his hand after ... punching a board in the lockerroom after J.R. Smith’s inglorious moment at the end of Game 1. LeBron’s been wearing a soft cast away from the media and court (to prevent the Warriors from using that information against him). When we all said LeBron needed a hand, little did we know how true it was!

That could have been LeBron’s final game as a Cavalier. LeBron, of course, will now be a free agent, if he opts out of his contract, which he absolutely should, because no one likes losing to the same team over and over and over again. Fittingly, the Warriors are now up 3-1 on the Cavaliers in four Finals matchups.

What a season!

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Both David West and Shaun Livingston hinted at serious drama under the calm, serene Warriors facade. West said that people will be “shocked” when they find out what’s happened, which, buddy, that’s a big promise, do you see what’s happened in the NBA in recent years? Livingston gave kudos to Steve Kerr for dealing with the team’s “B.S.”

WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? I MUST KNOW!

Seriously, newsbreakers and sports journalists around the Warriors: we don’t need any NBA draft scoops or free agency rumors right now. We need the dirt. Basketball needs this. Sully this perfect little dynasty right now.

Seerat Sohi on Steph Curry’s “niceness” being a front for his killer instinct.

LeBron got MVP chants when he checked out for maybe the final time in Cleveland. I wanted something a little more from the Cleveland crowd, like a G.O.A.T. chant or open group begging for him to stay.

NBA players didn’t wait for Game 4 to end before recruiting LeBron. Unbelievable.

Zach Lowe on what’s next for the Cavaliers.

How different would everything be if the Warriors hadn’t blown a 3-1 lead?

Klay Thompson’s post-Finals celebrations were choice.

Time for Steve Kerr to get a lucrative extension.

Andrew Sharp pleas with Durant to leave the Warriors for the good of the world.

This Dan Devine question in the post-game really captures how W.T.F. the fact that JaVale McGee and Nick Young won a title together is for us older heads.

What LeBron has done for Akron.

Pablo Torres is cold.

I enjoyed Under Armour’s post-Finals Steph ad.

A day after LeBron and Curry said their teams would not be interested in visiting the White House should they win the championship, President Trump declares neither team will be invited.

George Hill was, frankly, a disaster in the Finals. But hey, he’s invested in a Cleveland sauerkraut company, so that’s pretty cool.

Perhaps the most interesting talk of the Finals was LeBron waxing on the importance of basketball IQ in beating the Warriors.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is giving the New York Times’ ace Sopan Deb extensive comments on his uncertainty as to whether Earth is round.

Seven ways the Sixers can replace Bryan Colangelo.

WNBA star Sylvia Fowles is studying to become an embalmer.

Dwane Casey is talking as if he’s the next coach of the Pistons.

Thanks for enjoying our coverage all season long. Stick around for the draft, free agency, the uncovering of that Warriors dirt, and beyond!

Be excellent to each other.