After Ending 7-Year Humiliation, Cavs Achieve LeBron James’ 2-Game Success With Stinging Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally beat the Dub Nation twice this season. With an impressive score of 118-110 over the Warriors, the Cavs stood strong against the renewed Warriors. This win has got many to take a trip down memory lane. To the time of LeBron James.

The last time the Buckeye State subdued the Golden State was during the LeBron James-Shaquille O’Neal era. When tonight’s performance saw a repeat of history, the Cleveland fans were thrilled.

The Cleveland Cavaliers break their 7-year losing streak tonight

While social media is blowing up with happy Cavaliers fans, it is necessary to give credit to the NBA legend, King James, for bringing this exact glory years back. Specifically, the 2009-10 season.

Cleveland fell exactly 12 times to the Warriors dynasty in the past seven years. It is not an easy pill to swallow. By the 2015-16 season, the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green were off at full speed, taking second place for the longest winning streak in NBA history. Entering 2016 with a single-minded determination, the Warriors rallied to take the Cavs on. The arrival of Kevin Durant only added fuel to their well-oiled machine.

Since then, it was always a close call between both teams until James left in 2018. Since then, it has been a rebuilding stage for the Cavs. By the 2020-21 season, J.B. Bickerstaff took on the full-time coaching position of the team. Even though they continued to fall to the Dubs Nation, 2023 was a beacon of hope as the Cavaliers moved to the playoffs. It would be the first time since 2018 that the team would clinch a playoff spot.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made it back to the top, gaining victory against none other than the NBA dynasty that is the Golden State Warriors. This marks the first time that they beat the Golden State twice since 2010.

The Cavs golden days in the LeBron James -Shaquille O’Neal era

The 2009-10 season saw the City of Champions in a new look. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and 2x All-Star Antawn Jamison featured in a reconstructed startup line. The Cavs and Dubs met for the first time in the 2009-10 season on January 23, 2009, where they won with 106 points over the Warriors’ 105.

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The highlight of the match was James’ buzzer-beater that left the Warriors high and dry. There was a nail-biting moment while the officials conferred. Talking about the brilliant shot that was the start of the Warriors’ woes, Bron said, “It’s a great feeling … you hear the horn and the shot goes in and there’s no way they can try to make a comeback at us.” Stephen Jackson, who had a great night himself with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, wholeheartedly agreed with the King.

Their matchup on November 17, 2009, resulted in the Cavaliers’ victory at 114-108. It was a hard-fought battle on both sides. Rookie Stephen Curry tried to take the team forward even though they were shorthanded. But it was his first time, and no matter how much of an elite basketball player one is, to go against the ‘Chosen One’ and come out in one piece is an impossible task.

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But the Cleveland Cavaliers were also down two men. The Diesel and Anderson Varejao were both out for the game and Jamario Moon left in the third quarter due to an ankle sprain. With two of their best men down and no idea how long it would take them to get back, Cleveland had to figure out another option. Though they got Delonte West on the court, it was still not a permanent solution.

And that’s when Hickson came into the picture. He was a great player, averaging 19.6 points over the stretch. But the then coach, Mike Brown was more concerned with his mental health. Even with so many unstable factors, the Akron Hammer scored 31 points and 12 assists against a slowly building Warriors team.

The two met again the next year on January 11, 2010, when the Warriors lost once more at 114-117 to the Buckeye State. With the 37-year-old Big Shamrock back on the court healthy, it was a done case for the Warriors. Curry tried his best to guard Shaq, only to realize how useless it was to contain the huge veteran.

Anyway, the Cavaliers won the series against the Warriors for the last time. And a good thing too. They were in for a long seven years of drought, which they broke tonight, equalling LeBron and Shaq’s record.