Some sports moments just stick with you forever. Kyrie Irving’s iconic step-back three over Steph Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals is one of those moments. With less than a minute left and everything on the line, Kyrie created just enough space and buried the shot, which sealed Cleveland’s first title and capped off an incredible comeback down 3-1 in the series.
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Channing Frue, who came off the bench for the Cavs during that title-winning season, looked back on the team’s triumph during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. When Patrick asked Frye about whether LBJ knew Irving was going to shoot the dagger, he revealed that it was the matchup the team had been seeking all game.
“The only non-switch, where Golden State would put two people on the ball, was when Steph was getting ready to guard Kyrie,” Frye explained. “So we said, ‘Kyrie, he don’t want to guard you.’ So we start pumping him up. Like, ‘Get him.’ All of a sudden, Kyrie just does what Kyrie does.”
The 42-year-old added, “For us, the egos went out the door. We said, ‘Hey, that’s the best matchup for us.'” By egos, he means LBJ not caring about taking the last shot. It’s well known that The King cares about playing basketball the right way, as he’s not only discussed this before, but also been criticised for passing the ball to open players in clutch moments. Frye knows this as well. He later defended James against the so-called basketball experts who criticized LBJ for not taking the shot himself.
“The dude had 41-point triple-doubles like three games in a row,” said Frye. “People were like, ‘Well, you didn’t shoot the last shot.’ That’s because I play with Kyrie, you idiot.”
Honestly, Frye has a right to roast certain sects of NBA fans like this. The narrative that James “isn’t clutch” has been proven wrong so many times. Not to mention that in that same game, the King had probably the greatest defensive play in NBA history when he blocked Iguodala, who had an easy layup with the game tied. That’s clutch, my friend.
James sometimes wishes that he and Kyrie were still teammates
A year ago, Kyrie made it back to the NBA Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James spoke about how proud he was of his old teammate on an episode of Mind The Game that was released right around that time.
Funny enough, LBJ wasn’t just proud of the nine-time All-Star. He was also just a little bit angry.
“There’s nothing on the basketball floor that Kyrie couldn’t do. At the same time, I’m so f**king mad that I’m not his running mate anymore,” James admitted to his guest on the show, J.J. Redick.
Regardless of them not wearing the same uniform anymore, what Kyrie, James, and the rest of the 2016 Cavaliers accomplished should not be overlooked. It was one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, one of the most clutch Game 7s in sports history, and cemented everyone’s legacy as a true champion.
