This past June, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. It was a historic win: Only nine teams in the NBA history have successfully overcome 3-1 deficits to win a playoff series and none have done it in the Finals. It was also Cleveland’s first major sports championship since 1964. Soon, “Warriors blew a 3-1 lead” became a popular meme.
“That was crazy!” Usher exclusively told Complex during a recent interview. The R&B singer attended many of the games, and even thought he was jinxing LeBron James and company when they lost. “I thought I was the person who was fucking it up,” he explained. “But really, it ain’t have shit to do with me. It had everything to do with them and the fact that they’re amazing players. They played together, they played team ball.”
🏆 @Usher, @KyrieIrving & @RealTristan13 celebrate the @cavs NBA title! #NBAFinals https://t.co/iUTjHEHbLY
Usher was at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. the night the Cavs won, and hugged and congratulated players on the court as confetti fell from the ceiling. “It was a major upset,” he says about the Warriors’ loss. “I mean, beyond major upset. After a year like that…You can have a [73-9] record like that but if you don’t win the one game that matters it doesn’t mean anything. It means you guys managed to play well up to that point, but this team managed to play better, play together. I guess J.R. [Smith] has a reason [to get] more tattoos.”
Usher, who’s releasing his eighth studio album Hard II Lovetoday, is glad he stuck with the team. “Yeah, LeBron James left but I stayed. I’m happy to now reap the benefits of still being a part of this organization.”
