Absolutely—this breakdown paints the full picture that often gets lost in surface-level debates.
The narrative that “Kyrie saved LeBron’s legacy” is an oversimplification that doesn’t do justice to what actually happened in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, arguably the most iconic game in NBA history.
Here’s the real sequence of events:
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Final 5 Minutes, Game 7 (2016 Finals):
Cavs down 89-85 with ~5 minutes left.
LeBron draws a foul on a 3-point shot → calmly sinks all 3 free throws → Cavs trail 89-88.
Next offensive trip: LeBron hits a deep three → Cavs take the lead 91-89.
Kyrie misses a floater → Warriors run in transition.
LeBron sprints back for “The Block” on Iguodala—a moment that will live forever.
After key defensive stops on both sides…
Kyrie hits “The Shot” over Steph with 53 seconds left → Cavs up 92-89.
LeBron almost seals it with a dunk → fouled → hits 1-of-2 FTs to make it 93-89.
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Context Matters:
LeBron led all players in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks for the series.
His triple-double in Game 7 (27/11/11) capped off back-to-back 41-point games in Games 5 and 6.
“The Block” was the defensive exclamation point. “The Shot” was the offensive dagger.
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Legacy Talk:
Without Kyrie, yes—maybe Cleveland doesn’t win Game 7.
But without LeBron, they’re never in Game 7 to begin with.
He was the series’ gravitational force—both statistically and emotionally.
LeBron didn’t get his legacy saved. He built it brick by brick.
️ Kyrie’s shot was legendary. But LeBron’s body of work in that series is what made 3–1 possible.
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Want a side-by-side stat comparison for LeBron and Kyrie in that game or series?
