I still remember sitting in my living room with sweaty palms as Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals entered its final minutes. The Golden State Warriors were leading 129-120 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but having witnessed LeBron James' legendary comeback the previous year, none of us dared to breathe easy. When the final buzzer sounded, confirming the Warriors' championship victory, I realized we'd just witnessed something truly special - not just another title, but the culmination of what many consider the most dominant playoff run in modern basketball history. That 2017 championship wasn't just about winning; it was about a team carrying the weight of expectations so heavy that Kevin Durant later admitted, "Being a favorite is always more difficult because everybody is expecting, everybody knows that you will win, so there is no satisfaction, right?"
Looking back at that epic 2017 Championship NBA Finals, what stands out most isn't just the 16-1 postseason record or the sheer offensive firepower, but how the Warriors transformed from the heartbroken team that blew a 3-1 lead in 2016 to this unstoppable force. I've analyzed countless playoff runs throughout my career covering basketball, but their efficiency was something else entirely. They averaged 121.6 points per game in the Finals, with Durant dropping 35.2 points on 55% shooting while Curry added 26.8 points. The numbers still astonish me years later. What made this team different was how they embraced that favorite status rather than crumbling under it. I remember talking to assistant coaches who described practice sessions where players would push each other relentlessly, understanding that being favorites meant they had to be perfect.
The turning point came in Game 3, with the series tied 1-1. Cleveland was up 113-107 with less than two minutes remaining when Durant grabbed a defensive rebound, sprinted downcourt, and pulled up for that iconic 26-foot three-pointer over LeBron. That shot put Golden State ahead for good and essentially broke Cleveland's spirit. From my perspective covering that game live, the energy shift was palpable - you could feel the Cavaliers' confidence evaporate. What fascinates me about analyzing the 2017 Championship NBA Finals legacy is how it redefined modern team construction. The Warriors' solution to championship pressure wasn't to play conservatively but to double down on their identity - faster pace, more three-pointers, switching everything on defense. They understood that when everyone expects you to win, playing not to lose is the surest way to fail.
Their approach created a blueprint that teams still emulate today - the concept of sustainable excellence through cultural continuity. Rather than making dramatic changes after their 2016 collapse, they added Durant while keeping their core philosophy intact. The legacy of that 2017 team extends beyond championships to how they handled the mental aspect of being heavy favorites. They showed that satisfaction doesn't come from meeting expectations but from exceeding them, from playing basketball at a level nobody thought possible. Even now, when I watch teams struggle with pressure during playoff runs, I find myself comparing them to that Warriors squad and how they turned expectation into motivation rather than burden. That 2017 championship run wasn't just about winning a title - it was a masterclass in handling the psychological weight of being inevitable.