Former Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson recalled how LeBron James challenged his teammates to believe they could still win the 2016 NBA Finals after falling behind 3-1 against the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson explained that Cleveland’s Game 4 defeat was particularly frustrating because many of the team’s problems were the result of its own mistakes.
“For me it was just like, I can’t believe we did this. The fact that we were down 3–1. When we lost Game 4, we went down 3–1. The way we lost that game, it was all self-inflicted wounds.”
With the Cavaliers facing elimination and preparing to travel to Golden State for Game 5, James delivered a direct message to his teammates in their group chat.
According to Thompson, James made it clear that anyone who did not believe Cleveland could overcome the deficit should not even make the trip.
“And we had a chat that night, and we literally put in the chat, Bron put in the chat, ‘If you don’t think we can win this series, don’t get on the plane.’”
Thompson said every player ultimately boarded the plane, reflecting the team’s willingness to continue fighting despite the difficult situation.
“And sure enough, everyone on that plane. But I think that’s what we thought about. For me, the early feeling was like, can’t believe we did this, 3–1, thinking about Cleveland.”
