The Cleveland Cavaliers are once again in the NBA playoffs with one goal in mind, and that's to win the elusive NBA championship trophy. In the big three era of Cavaliers basketball, they have now reached the playoffs three times and will be looking to make it three straight trips to the NBA finals. In their first year, they made their way to the 2015 NBA finals but were struck with injuries and lost in 6 games to the Golden State Warriors. One year later they were looking for vengeance, this time with a healthy roster. They made it right back to the promise land, and were seemingly ready to win their franchises first NBA title.
But the Warriors went up 3-1 in the series. With all the doubt, the Cavs didn't give up and willed their way back and won the series 4-3, winning Cleveland's its first NBA championship.
Now they're looking to once again make a run at the championship, moving past all Eastern Conference foes and into the NBA finals once again. But will they meet the same foes for the third time in a row, the team led by 2014 MVP Kevin Durant and 2-time MVP Stephen Curry? That's the question that is being asked as of late.
Coach Lue talks about the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry
Most of the NBA fan base worldwide and NBA players believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are genuine rivals. But for some reason, a man named LeBron Raymone James doesn't seem to think so.
He has expressed in various interviews that he doesn't feel the Cavs and Warriors are rivals or that himself and Steph Curry are rivals. A very interesting thought considering all the battles they've had in recent history. Cavaliers' head coach, Tyronn Lue expressed his opinion on the situation:
“I think any time a team plays in back to back years in the NBA finals, and a lot of fans around the country are looking to that third match-up, especially with those guys acquiring Kevin Durant, I think it’s a rivalry."
Lue also talked about the dislike players from both teams have for eachother, seemingly wanting nothing more than to tear eachother apart on the basketball court.
Lue added:
"If you get a chance to have a rivalry and an opponent that you look forward to matching up with, that you want to play. If you go to three straight finals, that to me is a rivalry.”
Coach Lue obviously feels the same way as many NBA fans around the world, these two powerhouse teams are rivals.
Is it a rivalry?
Back to back trips to the finals, competitive games in back to back years on Christmas Day.
Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors are rivals. Even though the best player in the world might not think so. More or less, LeBron is so focused on winning games rather than turning his attention to rivalries, matchups, all the talk in the media, it really never bothers him, he just stays focused.
This rivalry might become one of the great ones of all time, especially if they meet once again in the NBA finals this year. It will be the first time two teams have faced eachother in the finals in three straight seasons. That would be a crazy feat to achieve, especially in this era.
