Durant planned for this title months ago in picking Warriors

It was a tough night last night if you’re a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, but the Golden State Warriors played an incredible post-season and won a well-deserved national championship in Game 5 of the NBA finals. He hinted he would opt out of a deal that pays him the maximum he can get in order to help Golden State’s chances of re-signing players such as Andre Iguodala or Shaun Livingston – two key reserves on both title teams. Then Curry carried Golden State while Durant healed from a left knee injury that sidelined him late in the regular season.

Save for David West’s and Tristan Thompson‘s single thrilling moment of forbidden romance, the NBA Finals were mostly devoid of any real drama. Time and again, with James (21 first half points) and Irving (16 first half points) off to scorching starts, the Warriors’ blunders led to Cavs’ gift baskets.

James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were all named to the All-Star team for the first time since coming together as teammates in the summer of 2014. They led at the half by 11. As a grinning Curry held daughter Riley in his arms, Durant stood next to them with his left hand on the point guard’s head.

Durant said he has “no question” in his mind he will be back with the Warriors. There was more than a touch of pay-back Monday night.

The Warriors won the title in 2015 before the Cavaliers made their historic comeback past year.

Sometimes lost in all the chatter about a possible Warriors’ dynasty is the fact that Golden State plays attractive, often unselfish team ball.

Through two games of these Finals, the Warriors’ margin for error looked to be as wide as the San Francisco Bay. “These guys are so gifted and committed to each other and so unselfish”. The original Big Three of Bird, Parish and McHale started in the frontcourt, and former MVP Walton backed them up and won the Sixth Man of the Year award. Yes, Kevin Durant got his championship, but you’ll never convince me it was the mountaintop experience it could have been if he’d stayed with the Thunder.

At the time, Durant called the leadup to his decision the most challenging few weeks of his National Basketball Association career, and even said it was not about winning titles but about personal growth and quality-of-life choices. “But like I said, we’ll all figure something out”.

The only real drama in the Warriors’ path to a championship this season was Kerr’s health.

What made them great: Baylor retired early in the season, then the Lakers launched an NBA-record, 33-game winning streak.

The Cavs scored the next three points, but Durant responded with a three-pointer for a 106-98 lead with 10 minutes remaining. But in the end, James fell short.

Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant smiles during an NBA basketball news conference on Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Oakland, Calif.

Draymond Green showed respect for the Cavaliers, giving them credit for their championship caliber and determination throughout the season.

James said he had no reason to feel sorry for himself. In the National Hockey League, the Nashville Predators, the team with the worst record in the playoffs, catfished the Western Conference before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But as many have pointed out, it’s not working. “So, this is the culmination of a year where they grew together and learned each other’s games and got better and better all year, and it was just phenomenal to be part of”. That’s all good news for Warriors fans.

“The way that he embraced the opportunity in the Finals, it was unbelievable”, Curry said. “But obviously, as a team, we’re going to have a conversation”.