It was an incredible year in the world of basketball. The NBA saw the emergence of its first championship rivalry in decades as the Cleveland Cavaliers proved to be a perfect foil for the seemingly-unstoppable Golden State Warriors. It was a year that provided the most thrilling Game 7 in recent memory and not one but two of the most iconic moments in NBA Finals history (more on those shortly…).
It was a year in which LeBron James followed through on his promise and, 13 years into his career, finally bringing a title back to Cleveland; where Stephen Curry won his second straight MVP as the Warriors did the unthinkable and broke the ’96 Bulls record with 73 wins in a single season (and the Spurs were only six games back!); where one of the most gifted scorers in NBA history shocked the world this summer when he joined what was already the greatest offensive team ever constructed; where the NBA’s next generation let it be known that their time may be now; a year where the next crop of pro ballers put on one of the greatest championship games in March Madness history.
Here at home the Toronto Raptors reached heights that few thought would ever be possible from a franchise that was once a perennial laughing stock. Meanwhile, abroad, the Raptors’ co-captains, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, took their act to the Olympic Games in Rio and returned as gold medalists.
And Sportsnet has been there to cover it all. So with no shortage of worthy options to choose from, here are our Top 10 NBA stories from 2016:
10. The Kids Are Alright
When Karl-Anthony Towns, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, burst onto the scene the NBA was put on notice. The future was now present in the form of a towering big man who could run the floor with ease, gracefully manoeuvre around some opponents while simply overpowering others, and comfortably extend his shot to the three-point line. Towns was a unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year— only it turns out, he wasn’t an anomaly, but one of a handful of budding superstars poised to revolutionize the game and usher in the NBA’s next generation of franchise players.
Alongside the likes of Timberwolves teammate Andrew Wiggins, 76ers giant Joel Embiid, Bucks superfreak Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Knicks’ saviour Kristaps Porzingis, Towns & Co. are ready for the spotlight.
Michael Grange: Andrew Wiggins looking to silence skeptics
Dave Zarum: Which young NBA star would you build a team around?
9. Wade & Anthem-Gate
Call it national pride, or, dare I say, a sweeping Napoleonic complex, but when then-Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade took some practice jumpers during the Canadian national anthem ahead of Game 3 in the second round of the playoffs vs. Toronto, an army of Raptors fans took great offence and the story went viral.
Michael Grange: Wade on anthem shots: ‘I’m not a disrespectful person’
Jeff Blair: Wade controversy sheds light on anthem dilemma in pro sports
8. Lowry and DeRozan have year for the ages
Lowry was never brought to Toronto to lead the team deep into the playoffs. He was never meant to be a face of the franchise and perennial all-star. But that’s exactly what happened over four short years. In 2016, Lowry reached new heights — he started in his second-consecutive all-star game (in Toronto no less), helped lead his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, and then, two months later, earned a gold medal as arguably the best player on a stacked Team USA in Rio. Not bad.
As for DeRozan, he too made his second all-star appearance, shook off a rough start to finish Toronto’s playoff run as the Raptors’ best player, also won gold at the Olympics, and parlayed his stellar play into the second-richest contract in NBA history that will keep him in T.O. throughout his prime. Oh, and to cap it off, he began the 2016-17 season on a scoring tear the NBA hadn’t seen since Michael Jordan donned a Bulls jersey.
Dave Zarum: Lowry’s journey from ‘uncoachable backup’ to perennial all-star
By the Numbers: A closer look at DeRozan’s red-hot start to Raptors’ season
7. Craig Sager, R.I.P.
The list of sideline reporters who captured hearts like Craig Sager did is preciously short. The longtime broadcaster known for his repoire with the NBA’s biggest stars— and his signature attire— passed away in December at the age of 65 after a long battle with leukemia.
In February, at all-star weekend in Toronto, Sportsnet caught up with Sager in the midst of chemo treatment for this special piece on an NBA media icon.
Michael Grange: Special suit and all, Sager ready for NBA All-Star return
6. LaVine vs. Gordon and the return of the dunk contest
Despite the deep freeze that took hold of the city, the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Toronto was a resounding success. Yet with so many great moments to choose from, one clearly stood tall above the rest: when Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine and Magic forward Aaron Gordon combined to give us arguably the greatest showing at an NBA dunk contest.
In a showcase that featured genuine competitiveness, true originality, and the type of showmanship that had been missing from the signature event of the weekend, LaVine and Gordon had the Air Canada Centre buzzing like never before.
Dave Zarum: Ranking the 13 best dunks from NBA All-Star Saturday
Michael Grange: Canada now firmly engrained in NBA fabric
5. 73 … and ringless
The record of 72 regular season wins set by the ’96 Chicago Bulls was thought to be untouchable. Until it wasn’t. The Warriors, in what was the biggest ongoing subplot of the 2015-16 season, pulled off the unthinkable and posted an NBA-best 73 wins, drawing countless comparisons between the two colossal clubs. The only reason this doesn’t rank higher on this list? Unlike the Bulls, they couldn’t seal their magical season with a championship.
Michael Grange: Why today’s Warriors would beat yesterday’s Bulls
4. The Comeback
Sure, it was only the first round of the playoffs, but the Raptors’ performance in Game 5 vs. the Indiana Pacers was a turning point that set the tone for the playoff run that followed. Trailing by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, the Raptors — using a lineup that had never played together before — pulled off the comeback in thrilling fashion. It featured plenty of signature moments for the franchise, though it will likely be best remembered for Norman Powell‘s steal and superman dunk.
Michael Grange: From their depth, Raptors find way to rise to historic comeback
Dave Zarum: Inside the Raptors’ epic fourth-quarter comeback
3. Durant’s shocking decision
We knew that Kevin Durant, arguably the greatest offensive threat in the game (and that includes two-time defending MVP Steph Curry), may leave Oklahoma City this past summer in free agency. And with a salary cap higher than ever, virtually every team in the league could afford to sign him. But Golden State? The team that had just set the NBA record for wins and already boasted two of the five greatest shooters in league history? The same team that knocked Durant out of the playoffs in seven games just months earlier? Many expected Durant to try to beat the Warriors. Instead, in a plot twist straight out of pro wrestling, he joined them.
Dave Zarum: Durant’s heel turn paints Warriors in new light
Donnovan Bennett: Kevin Durant is not a villain
2. Raptors reach Eastern Conference Finals for the first time
I suppose, because of the nature of sports, it was always possible. But to a long-time fan, the likelihood of the Raptors, a franchise known more for its storied history of dubious moments than triumphs, reaching the Conference Finals seemed, well, unlikely. Yet, that’s exactly what transpired in the 2016 playoffs, when the Raps battled through two hard-fought series against Indiana and Miami to earn a matchup with LeBron James and the eventual champion Cavs.
We know what happened next: the Raptors lost, fairly soundly, but they did manage to take two games off of Cleveland and, at one point, had the series tied 2-2 before running out of steam. Always dissappointing to lose, but it was undoubtedly a monumental step forward for the franchise.
Michael Grange: Raptors refuse to graciously exit NBA’s velvet-roped party
1. The King regains his crown in dramatic fashion
It’s been discussed and re-lived so much by now that we almost take for granted just how special the 2016 NBA Finals was. The Warriors were on course for destiny, wrapping up their dream season and cementing their status as the only thing that could get in the way of LeBron James bringing a championship back to his hometown. The Dubs held a 3-1 lead and everything. And then the tides turned and the Cavs pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in sports.
It all culminated in Game 7, which will forever be remembered for two iconic plays: LeBron’s epic chase-down block (the defining signature moment in a career full of ’em) and Kyrie Irving’s clutch three-pointer.
Michael Grange: LeBron answers every last doubter with spectacular Finals
