© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — On paper, Friday’s Warriors-Cavaliers matchup is as lopsided as they come. Golden State is on the verge of clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Cleveland is trending for a top-three pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
It wasn’t like this long ago.
In each of the previous four years, these teams matched up in the NBA Finals. With the exception of last year’s Warriors’ sweep, the series lived up to their billings, with several of the world’s best clashing on the game’s biggest stage.
Years from now, Steve Kerr will remember it all.
“Someday, there will be a 30 for 30 on the Warriors-Cavs – incredible four-year stretch for both teams,” Kerr said before the teams tipped off Friday night. “There was so much that happened, from the beginning to the end, really, very different teams from 2015 to 2018. So, a lot of things happened, but mainly it was great competition, some of the great players in the history of the game on the floor in the Finals against each other. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of.”
Each year presented an entirely different Finals than the year before, as Kerr said.
In 2015, the Warriors overwhelmed a depleted Cavs team — with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love out for the final five games of the series — to win in six and bring Oakland its first NBA title in 40 years. One year later, the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit, shocking the NBA world with a dramatic four-point win in Game 7 in Oakland. One year later, with Kevin Durant infused into the rivalry, the Warriors overwhelmed the Cavs to a 4-1 win. In 2018, the Warriors swept the Cavs in their first year with Irving gone.
The four-year battle provided some of the most iconic moments in the history of the NBA, from James’ chase-down block to Durant’s dagger three-pointers in Cleveland. The rivalry is no more, but as Kerr said, it will be documented for future generations.