Warriors are golden in winning NBA title

LeBron James’ ran out of fuel Tuesday as the Golden State Warriors handled the Cleveland Cavaliers on their home court 105-97 to win the NBA title. The Warriors triumphed in six games, crediting teamwork and leadership on and off the court.

“[It was] a collective effort throughout the whole year,” Golden State guard Klay Thompson said. “It’s something to tell my grandkids.”

Thompson and the Oakland, Calif.–based franchise, which hadn’t won a title in 40 years, faced the physical prowess of James in his fifth straight NBA Finals. James led all scorers Tuesday night with 32 points in the losing effort.

“We were a nervous wreck before the game knowing what was at stake,” Warriors star Stephen Curry said.

Despite the Cavaliers missing 12 free throws and turning the ball over 19 times, they crept within eight points in the fourth quarter before the Warriors unleashed a flurry of 3-pointers to seal it.

“God is great,” declared NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who helped force those Cleveland turnovers and relished the role of defending James. The former All-Star didn’t start a single game before the Finals, learning to accept a starkly different role under the Warriors’ rookie coach, Steve Kerr.

“We’ve got a team full of believers,” Iguodala explained to ABC’s Doris Burke. “We all go to chapel before every game. We all believe, and we all say God has a way for you, a purpose for you. This was my purpose, and I accepted it.”

Golden State’s core of outspoken believers dates back to before 2013, when Curry told the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, “The Holy Spirit is moving through our locker room.” Back then, Curry found himself on a team with coach and Protestant pastor Mark Jackson and about 10 players who took part in team chapels. Jackson took an irrelevant team to a 51-win season last year before his “frustrating” firing jarred Curry last spring. Kerr then stepped in to guide the Warriors to a franchise-best 67-15 record.

“I’ve got great teammates,” said Iguodala, who thanked team chaplains Tuesday during his postgame interview and added, despite being four years older than Curry, “Steph—I want to be just like Steph when I grow up. A God-fearing man, great guy.”

Curry was named the league’s regular season MVP and has become the public face of the Warriors. He points his right index finger upward when he scores—25 points Tuesday night—partly to remind himself that God is to get the glory. “I’ve been put here for a specific purpose: to be a witness and to share my testimony as I go through [basketball],” he told Decision Magazine last year.

Parents Sonya and Dell Curry made sure their son “understood the commitment” for Christ he made in fourth grade, and teammates notice. “He’s a guy who not only talks it; he lives it,” Warriors forward Harrison Barnes told Decision. “I think he garners a lot of respect in this locker room because of that.”

A disappointed Cleveland, which lost cornerstones Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to injuries, will have to wait at least one more year to break its 51-year citywide championship drought.

“We ran out of talent,” said James, who sat facing his locker with a towel over his head for nearly an hour after the game. “We gave everything we had.”

For now, the Warriors are on top of the NBA food chain. Golden State finally brought the golden trophy to the Bay Area. Curry, though, keeps his perspective on a prize that will come later: “Something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.