Is NBA Finals Game 7 the Biggest Game of our Generation?

Game 7’s are always huge but is tomorrow’s NBA Finals finale between the CLeveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors the greatest of our time?

The Cavs and Warriors will faceoff in a Game 7 for the ages. Possibly the greatest team of all-time is going to face one of, if not, the greatest player of all-time in a winner take all contest.

While we’ve all been focusing on the big ramifications of this game, there are so many subplots to this game. The subplots that could be decided in this game could have a ripple effect on the NBA more than a decade down the road.

Here is what exactly depends on the outcome of this game.

1. The Warriors’ legacy as one of the greatest team’s of all time.

Every NBA dynasty has something in common. That’s they won back-to-back championships. Bill Russell‘s Celtics , the Showtime Lakers, the Bad Boy Pistons, Jordan’s Bulls, the Clutch City Rockets, the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, and LeBron’s Heat all won back-to-back championships.

Those teams that won back-to-back championships are remembered as being up there with the greatest teams of all-time. The teams that don’t win back-to-back championships are perceived more as a flash in the pan success team like the 2011 Mavericks or the 06 Heat. Those teams were good, but they weren’t able to sustain their success for long periods.

Back-to-back championships legitimizes the Warriors’ style of play. No teams that were primarily jump shooting teams have won championships before. The great offenses of the past like the seven seconds or less Suns never won a championship.

While it’s true that the Warriors have already won a championship, many will point to last season as a fluke if they don’t win Game 7. The Grizzles, Rockets, and Cavaliers all had substantial injuries when they faced them in 2015. Once they faced good healthy teams in 2016 like the Thunder and Cavs they struggled.

Golden State winning this game legitimizes their style of play. NBA teams are looking to copy that playing style already, but nearly every team will try to copy them if they can win back-to-back championships. Every GM will be looking for their next version of the Splash Brothers to mold their franchise around.

But if they lose, this whole system of playing may go out the window. Just like the Suns’ seven seconds or less offense. Especially if the Warriors never reach the top of the mountain again.

2. J.R. Smith‘s bank account.

Smith has already stated that he’s going to test free agency. He tested free agency last year after a bad Finals and he got no offers whatsoever. Teams shied away from giving him big money because he was unable to shake his reputation.

Smith has had a tremendous season and playoffs. He has made a conscious effort to shake off his reputation as a bad defender by being arguably the Cavs’ best defender throughout the regular season. Smith has had a great season offensively where he set the franchise record for most 3 pointers made in a season.

However, that all goes to waste if he has a poor performance in Game 7. If he goes 0 for 6 in Game 7, he might face the same situation in free agency as he did last year. He had a poor first two games of the Finals, if you add in a bad Game 7 teams will be hesitant to offer him big money.

On the flipside, if he has a big Game 7 and the Cavs win, he will have some team offer him a huge check in free agency.

3. Tyronn Lue‘s coaching career.

Coach Lue has done a good job this season once taking over for David Blatt. He connects to his players in a way that few coaches can. That being said, it is only his first year as an NBA coach so he doesn’t have a track record of winning to go off of.

If the Cavs win Game 7 Lue will undoubtedly get a contract extension from the Cavs. His championship will validate the firing of Blatt and validate his place amongst the great coaches in the NBA.

Just look around the NBA. Good coaches like Tom Thibodeau and Stan Van Gundy have been fired partly to do with the fact that they’ve never won a championship. Thibodeau’s tough coaching style isn’t validated in all GM’s minds because he never won a championship. Conversely, a coach like Doc Rivers will have a coaching job as long as he wants one because he’s won a championship.

If Lue can win a championship he will always have a job. But if the Cavs lose and he never gets to the Finals again he may not get a chance to coach in the NBA again. It’s a make or miss league for shooters, and the same is sometimes the case with coaches.

4. Harrison Barnes‘s free agency.

Barnes is expecting to get a big pay day in free agency, but like J.R. Smith that might depend on how he plays in Game 7. Barnes was good in the beginning of the series, but he’s been atrocious in games 5 and 6. What kind of contract he gets this offseason may largely depend on how he finishes the series up.

5. How Anderson Varejao is remembered in Cleveland.

Few players were as popular in Cleveland as Andy was. He was loyal to the Cavs through the worst of times. Unfortunately, Cleveland was not able to win a title with him on the roster.

Now he’s on the Warriors and has quickly become a public enemy. He has outraged fans with the same flops that everyone in Cleveland used to applaud. If the Warriors win the championship, Cleveland will never be able to forgive him. But if they don’t they will.

Remember Zydrunas Ilgauskas followed LeBron to Miami in search of a championship. Cleveland wasn’t happy that he left for Miami, but in time they forgave him. They’ll forgive Varejao in time as well, but that’s only if the Cavs win Game 7. They may never forgive him for beating their Cavaliers in the Finals.

6. Kyrie Irving‘s place amongst the game’s best.

If Kyrie has another impressive performance in Game 7, he will move into the upper echelon of elite NBA players. Joining the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook.

Right now the public perceives Kyrie the same way they do Damian Lillard. They see them as both great individual point guards, but not necessarily elite. If he can have a good Game 7 and the Cavs win that will change. He will be viewed as a legitimate championship winning point guard.

Remember when people said that the Cavs were better against the Warriors with Delly? People will never say something that ridiculous again if the Cavaliers win Game 7.

7. Kevin Love‘s status in Cleveland.

It’s no secret that Love has been bad in the Finals. He is a terrible matchup against the Warriors and is playing less than 20 minutes a game.

If the Cavaliers win Game 7, he might still have a future in Cleveland. The public outcry to get him out of town won’t nearly be as loud. The front office won’t likely make a knee jerk reaction if it is shown that they can win with him.

However, if the Cavs lose and Love is terrible again you can bet on him being shipped out of town. The course of his career could depend on the outcome of one game.

8. The Warriors’ regular season record.

Nobody cares about a team that wins 73 games and breaks the ’95-’96 Bulls record if they don’t win a championship. They will be looked at the same way the 2012 Patriots are looked at. Going undefeated in the regular season means nothing if you lose in the Super Bowl.

Breaking regular season records means absolutely nothing if you don’t win the championship. They don’t have parades or give trophies for regular season accomplishments. Their magical run in the regular season will be accompanied with the phrase, but they lost in the Finals.

History only remembers winners. The Warriors historic season could be all but forgotten with just one loss.

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9. LeBron’s legacy.

Much has been written about this already so there’s no need to drag this out. If LeBron wins Game 7 against this historic team his poor Finals’ record is forgotten.

The only blemish on James’s legendary career is his Finals’ record. If he wins it will be 3-4, but if he loses it will be 2-5. He could foreseeably win one or two more championships, but it’s unrealistic for him to win three more. He’d have to win three more to have a .500 record in the Finals if he loses Game 7.

Beating one of the best teams in history with back-to-back 41 point games on the brink of elimination will go down as some of the best Finals games in NBA history. But if he loses, that will only be a footnote.

Also the Curry vs LeBron debate will be put to bed. James has proven that he’s the better player the last two Finals. A win in Game 7 would quite even the most ardent Curry supporters.

So much rides on this one basketball game. It truly could be the biggest NBA game of our era.