The best of this day in NBA sports history. June 19. Cleveland, this is for you: Shaquille O’Neal, Finals MVP, the dream of forcing Game 7, Kareem vs. Isiah in the Finals. What happened on this day in NBA history? Let’s dive right in to see what this day held for the NBA from 1988 until 2016.
Cleveland, This is For You
LeBron James keeps his promise to Cleveland and gives the Cavaliers their first championship. The Cavaliers come back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Golden State Warriors during the season to take the Finals 4-3 with a 93-89 victory in Game 7. In this series, the Cavaliers found themselves down 3-1, including two blowouts.
LeBron James responded with 41 points in Games 5 and 6, leading the Cavaliers to two wins on the brink of elimination. During Game 7, LeBron posted a triple-double and made numerous key plays, including his block on Andre Igoudala. The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. LeBron is named Finals MVP, averaging 29.7 points per game.
Shaquille O’Neal, Finals MVP
Shaquille O’Neal was unanimously named the 2000 NBA Finals MVP after the Lakers’ 116-111 Game 6 victory over the Indiana Pacers. O’Neal received all seven votes from a panel of national media after averaging 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.67 blocks in the Finals series.
O’Neal joined Willis Reed (1970) and Michael Jordan (1996) in becoming the third person to sweep the season MVP honors, earning the All-Star Game MVP honors, which he shared with San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, NBA MVP, and NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers tied the NBA Finals single-game record with only five turnovers.
The Dream is Forcing Game 7
Houston’s victory, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, who scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and partially blocked John Starks’ final shot, led the Houston Rockets to an 86-84 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. This forced a decisive Game 7 of the NBA Finals for the first time in six years and the only time in the 1990s.
Houston would emerge victorious in Game 7 and be crowned champion.
This Day in NBA Sports History: Kareem vs. Isaiah in the Finals
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sank two free throws with 14 seconds remaining as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 103-102, tying the NBA Finals at 3-3, and overshadowing Isiah Thomas, who scored 43 points for the Pistons, including a Finals-record 25 in the third quarter despite suffering a sprained ankle early in the game. Thomas’ 11 field goals in the quarter were an NBA Finals record. If you missed the last article entitled This Day In NBA Sports History, read about it here on June 18.
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