The Cavaliers are down 3-1 heading back to Oakland, needing to win three straight against the winningest team in NBA history. In NBA Finals history, 32 teams went down 3-1. All 32 failed to win the title.
The glass kinda looks half empty right now.
But, statistically speaking, we have a much better shot of winning the title than 28 other NBA teams, as well as the 147 Cleveland teams since the 1964 Browns that have chased that elusive title.
So perk up Cleveland fans, and remember the words of the great philosopher, Lloyd Christmas…
Even in seemingly cursed Cleveland, plenty of sports miracles have happened:
May 22, 2003: The Cavaliers have a 22.5 percent chance of winning the NBA draft lottery, which when using proper analytical conversions, equates to 3.1% in Cleveland luck probability. But the right ping pong ball comes up, and the LeBron stays home.
January 10, 1987: The Jets go up 20-10 with 4:14 left in a divisional play-off game. Soon after, Bernie Kosar then throws an incompletion on 2nd and 24 at his own 18 yard line. But Mark Gastineau gets a stupid roughing the passer penalty that revives the Browns, who come back and win in double overtime.
May 15, 1981: Cleveland Municipal Stadium is the armpit of the baseball world. But that night, 7,290 fans brave 49-degree weather to watch Len Barker throw the first MLB perfect game in 13 years. Sidenote: I was grounded to my room that night for being a mouthy 10-year old, but Dad let me come down to watch the last three innings. Another miracle!
May 7, 1989: In deciding game 5, Michael Jordan hits a jumper with 6 seconds left to give the Bulls a 1-point lead. But then Craig Ehlo hits a beautiful give-and-go lay-up off an out-of-bounds pass to take the lead. There were only 3 seconds, left, so nothing else could happen, right? (watch 6:15-7:25 of this video clip, then STOP immediately!)
June 10, 1974: At an Indians game, beer is sold for the miracle-low price of 10 cents. Surely, nothing went wrong that night.
January 17, 1988: In Denver for the AFC Championship, the Browns come back from a 21-3 halftime to tie the game at 31. We will leave it at that.
October 5, 1997: Down 2 games to 1, and four outs from elimination, Sandy Alomar homers to tie the Yankees. Cleveland goes on win that series.
May 22, 2009: Down two with one second left, LeBron hits this shot to tie the Eastern Conference Finals 1-1 with Orlando.
May 19, 2011: The Cavs earn the right to draft Kyrie Irving #1 with a traded Clippers draft pick that has a 2.8% chance of winning the draft lottery.
May 21, 2013: The Cavs use a 15.6% chance to win the draft lottery again.
May 20, 2014: With only a 1.7% chance, the Cavs AGAIN win the draft lottery. Did that help lead to…
July 11, 2014: LBJ makes the stunning announcement that he is returning to the Cavaliers.
June 12, 2016: The NBA finally mans up and suspends Draymond Green. Is a follow-up miracle coming?
The chances of winning all three of those recent lotteries was 1 in 13,467. Time to get this lucky kid and his bow tie on the Cavs’ bench.
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