Nearly a decade after they pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA history, the core of that 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers team got back together. And naturally, they did it by spoofing the final scene from The Hangover Part II.
LeBron James, Kevin Love, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, and a few other guys from that squad posted a video on social media this week. Love holds up a phone and says, “Alright, fellas, one last time and then we’re destroying this.” Everyone nods. Then a montage rolls of them hanging out, eating, laughing, basically acting like a bunch of friends who still can’t believe what they did together.
The whole thing is funny, sure, but it also hits a nostalgia nerve. That 2016 team isn’t just a footnote in NBA history. It’s the only team ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. They were down to the Golden State Warriors, a juggernaut that had won 73 games in the regular season. And somehow, with LeBron playing like his life depended on it and Kyrie Irving hitting that shot over Steph Curry, they won three straight games to take the title.
James was Finals MVP, obviously. It was his first ring with Cleveland, the team that drafted him back in 2003. He had already won two titles with the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but this one was different. This one was for Ohio.
Since then, the Cavaliers haven’t won another title. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026 but got swept by the Knicks. The Warriors, after adding Kevin Durant, beat Cleveland in the 2017 Finals in five games, then swept them in 2018. James left for the Lakers after that, winning a fourth ring in 2020.
But none of that erases what the 2016 Cavs did. And watching them joke around together now, it’s clear that bond hasn’t faded. They know what they pulled off. They don’t need to say it.
If you haven’t seen the video yet, go find it. It’s worth the two minutes. And if you’re a Cavs fan, it probably hits a little different.
Leave a Comment