Remembering the Cavs' historic 2016 NBA Championship
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LeBron James holds up the Larry O'Brien trophy after defeating the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Photo: MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images
Friday marks the 10th anniversary of perhaps the greatest moment in Cleveland sports history.
Why it matters: The Cavaliers' 2016 NBA Championship was the city's first major team-sport title since the Browns won the NFL Championship in 1964.
- The victory capped a comeback for the city that began in the aftermath of LeBron James' 2010 departure and culminated with his return.
Driving the news: The Cavaliers will host a 10th anniversary celebration outside Rocket Arena at noon Friday.
Flashback: The road to a championship began on July 11, 2014, when James announced he would rejoin the Cavs four years after taking his talents to the Miami Heat.
- James led the Cavs to the 2015 finals but lost to the powerhouse Golden State Warriors.
State of play: Cleveland returned to the finals the following year, only to go down 3-1 to a Warriors team that set the NBA record for regular-season wins with 73.
- No team had ever overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the finals.
Yes, but: The Cavs would win the next two games, setting up an epic Game 7 at Golden State.
- James' astonishing chase-down block against the Warriors' Andre Iguodala in the fourth quarter, followed by Kyrie Irving's game-winning three, clinched the franchise's first-ever championship.
- During his postgame interview, James famously shouted, "Cleveland, this is for you!" as he fought through tears.
Fan memories: "I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law in Athens, Georgia, and watching the seventh game in a downtown bar," remembers reader Mary Worthington.
- "I was sobbing at the bar when we went up to hear LeBron exclaim, 'This is for you!'"
Another reader, Medina resident Matt Slaw, watched the game on a cruise ship during his family's vacation.
- "I watched the last minutes of the game [and] had tears in my eyes," he tells Axios. "My kids were confused — 'Why is Dad crying?'"
What happened next: Cleveland held a downtown victory parade three days later that drew 1.3 million people.
- James stuck around in Cleveland until 2018, when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The bottom line: Unlike the first time he left, Cleveland has sustained its momentum as a thriving sports city and tourist destination.