The Golden State Warriors sweep aside the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier today to win the 2018 NBA championship, the third in four years.
The win by the Warriors is the ninth finals sweep in NBA history. Golden State has built a championship machine by building a culture different to that of the Cavaliers who have been built around superstar LeBron James. And while James – almost single-handedly at times – pulled the Cavs to four straight Finals (beating Golden State in 2016), his teams have never had the same togetherness, cohesion and team spirit.
Kevin Durant was NBA Finals MVP awards for the second straight year in the two straight NBA championships for the Golden State Warriors.
Durant averaged 28.8 points in the series, along with 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
”It’s just about the journey, all season,” Durant said. ”Getting up every day, going to work with these guys, it’s amazing. The environment is incredible. It’s good for you to be around guys like this. It helps you become a better basketball player and a better man.”
Durant becomes the 11th player to win Finals MVP twice, joining six-time winner Michael Jordan, three-timers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James, and two-timers Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Willis Reed and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He’s also the sixth player to win it in consecutive years, with Jordan, O’Neal, James, Olajuwon and Bryant being the others.
Durant is one of 30 players to win the award.
Since 2009 the award has been named for Celtics legend Bill Russell, the 11-time champion who surely would have won the award multiple times if it existed in his playing days.
