Kyrie Irving

The long wait came to an end — thanks to Kyrie Irving and one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally joined the ranks of world champions in 2016, snapping a drought that dated back to the franchise’s inception in 1970. The team’s hopes of pulling off the feat looked bleak after falling into a 3-1 series hole against the 73-win defending champion Golden State Warriors, but Irving and company forced Game 7 thanks to convincing victories in Games 5 and 6. With the game deadlocked at 89 in the fourth quarter, the 2012 Rookie of the Year dribbled around a screen until he was one-on-one with two-time MVP Steph Curry. Keeping Curry at bay with evasive handles until it was his time to strike, Irving pulled up from 25 feet and buried an iconic go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to silence a stunned home crowd. The shot heard round the NBA world capped an epic night and series for Irving, who shot 10 for 23 for 26 points to go with six rebounds in Cleveland’s unforgettable 93-89 win on June 19, 2016. Irving averaged 27.1 points per game in the series on better than 40 percent shooting from downtown as the Cavs became the first team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win in the Finals.

Championship Year