The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to win big as the reigning NBA champions pulled in seven awards at Wednesday night’s ESPYs just weeks after winning their first championship in franchise history. Many members of the team turned out on this night where athletes of all sports are recognized for their contributions, and Cleveland did not disappoint, taking home the most awards of any other organization.
Team awards
The night started strong for the Cavaliers who won the award for Best Moment for breaking Cleveland’s 52 year title drought. The award was emotionally accepted by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love who thanked the city of Cleveland for its endless support throughout the entire season. This award is not voted on by fans, which a majority of the others are.
Cleveland added to their team accolades by winning Best Team as well. Their competitors in this category consisted of other champions including the Super Bowl winning Denver Broncos, Stanley Cup winning Pittsburgh Penguins, and the NCAA Men’s Basketball champion University of Connecticut Huskies. The award was accepted by members of the championship team including James, Irving, Love, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Dahntay Jones. Although short and funny, the teams closeness and relationships could be seen as they accepted the Best Team honor.
The Cavaliers also won the award for Best Game with their NBA Finals opponents, the Golden State Warriors, for Game 7 of the series. The final game of the 2016 NBA postseason saw multiple lead changes, unforgettable highlight plays, and a historic ending in which the Cavaliers capitalized on their 3-1 comeback to obtained their first ever NBA championship with a 93-89 win over Golden State.
Individual awards
Along with the team awards, many members of the Cavaliers took home individual accolades on this memorable night. James added to the mantle, winning the Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance, and Best NBA Player to go along with his Finals MVP. James’s win came against many stars including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, and Von Miller of the Denver Broncos. Cavalier coach Tyronne Lue also was a winner at the show, receiving the Best Coach/Manager award. Lue took over this team midway through the season and rose up to unmeasurable expectations, setting a high standard and making smart decisions to help lead Cleveland to their championship.
Another notable nomination that Cleveland did not win was James’s late game block on Golden State’s Andre Iguodala which helped Cleveland secure their Game 7 victory. This play has come to be known simply as “The Block.”
The 2016 ESPYs, hosted by John Cena, additionally honored Sgt. Elizabeth Marks, an injured Army member who has made a name in swimming, with the Pat Tillman Award for Service, Zaevion Dobson, a high school football player who was shot to death, with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and long time NBA Sideline Reporter and fan favorite, Craig Sager, with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award.
