To say that Cleveland Cavaliers fans hate the Golden State Warriors' guts won't even tell half of the story. Stephen Curry and company got the best of the Cavs three times in the NBA Finals in arguably the greatest period in franchise history.
The Cavs will, of course, always have bragging rights over Steve Kerr's team anyway. They spoiled their record-breaking 73-9 season and became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. In the words of the great Scottie Pippen: 'It ain't mean a thing without a ring.'
That's why, with all the recent stories these two organizations share, Cavs fans must be thrilled with everything that's going on in the Bay Area. The Warriors are struggling, and the end of their dynasty is finally upon us.
The Warriors are free-falling and Cavs fans are loving it
Just when it looked like the Warriors were taking flight, Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending injury. Then, instead of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo as expected, they sent Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks to get Kristaps Porzingis.
The Latvian big man may have been a great addition a few years ago, but not right now. He's only played 17 games this season, and it might be a while before he makes his Warriors debut as he continues to deal with injuries.
The Warriors could've tried to flip Draymond Green or Butler and their big contracts to get Curry some help. Instead, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. stayed put and made a move that will most likely backfire before the end of the season.
As things stand now, the Warriors are 29-26 and in eighth place in the Western Conference. They might still make the playoffs because of how blatantly some teams have thrown the white towel and decided to tank. Even so, they're not likely to win more than one game in the first round, especially if they're matched up with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
On the other side of the bracket, the Cleveland Cavaliers are thriving with James Harden, who also has plenty of reasons to dislike the Warriors at a visceral level. It took a while and a major downgrade at the general manager position, but it looks like the moment Cavs fans dreamed of for years is finally upon us. The Warriors are no longer the team to beat. They're not even a pretender.