The 2016 Finals was one of the most-watched series in NBA history. The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an improbable comeback from being 3-1 down. No analyst or expert gave them a chance, and they had to do something no team in history had done before. In order to motivate them, their head coach, Tyronn Lue, came up with a $200 “Ponzi Scheme.” And this resulted in historic performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The series was a lopsided affair at the start. The Golden State Warriors led by Unanimous MVP Stephen Curry blew the Cavs out in the first two games. However, the Cavs responded with a dominant victory in Game 3. But the Warriors responded in style with a massive victory in Game 4.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
DIVE DEEPER
This put the Warriors in a commanding position to seal their historic season. Ty Lue knew he had to find a way to motivate his team. After game 4, he said to his team that if they don’t believe they can win, they shouldn’t get on the plane. He truly believed that they can win and he let the team know that.
How Tyronn Lue motivated LeBron James and the Cavs?
Game 5 saw historic performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Both of them dropped 41 points each and the Cavs forced a game 6. But Lue knew that the job was not done yet,…