The 2016 Finals Game 7 Three: Kyrie’s Legendary Dagger

June 19, 2016, Oracle Arena in Oakland. NBA Finals Game 7, the Cavaliers visiting the 73-win Warriors. With 53 seconds left in the fourth, the score was tied 89-89. At that very moment, Kyrie Irving had the ball, Stephen Curry on him; Irving slid right and rose into a pull-up three as Curry closed out — splash, Cavaliers 92-89.

That shot was the microcosm of the whole series. Down 1-3, Cleveland had clawed back three straight to force Game 7. In the closing stretch, LeBron’s chase-down block on Andre Iguodala preserved possession, then Irving’s cold-blooded three pushed the Cavs to the brink. Moments later Irving hit two free throws; Cleveland won 93-89, completing the only 1-3 comeback in Finals history.

Irving finished with 26 points, absurdly efficient. His three is worshipped as "the most important shot in franchise history" — it ended Cleveland’s pro-sports title drought dating to 1964, closing a 52-year wait.

Many remember LeBron’s block, but Kyrie’s three was just as essential. It was the perfect pairing of two superstars: LeBron drew the double, Kyrie answered in the deadliest way from the weak side. Afterward Irving said: "I didn’t think too much — I just trusted the touch from a million reps."

That three also ripped off the "only shows off handles in the regular season" label. Under the Finals’ top-tier defense, one pull-up told the world he could be the clutch man. For years since, fans think not just of LeBron’s Finals MVP but of Kyrie’s legendary three.

Related Reading

• 2016 Cleveland Miracle: LeBron’s Comeback Crown
• From Cleveland to Dallas: Irving’s Journeys and Persistence
• The 2011 No. 1 Pick: From Duke to Cleveland’s Chosen One
• Kyrie Irving: The Handle Master’s Path to NBA Greatness
• Game 7 Crown: LeBron’s Clutch Defense