Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Champs Special Commemorative Issue

The first team from Cleveland to win a title in a major sport in 52 years, the first to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, and matched against arguably the best team in history, the 73-win Warriors, the Cavaliers are the unlikeliest —but perhaps the most likable—NBA champions of all time. Led by LeBron James, an Akron native who returned to Cleveland after four years in Miami to bring a championship to his fellow Ohioans, the Cavs made good on James' promise even as he established himself as one of the game's true greats. Of course LeBron had help: Blossoming star point guard Kyrie Irving, forward Kevin Love and a strong cast of role players—J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye. Together with rookie coach Tyronn Lue, those Cavs put together an astounding run to the title.

Sports Illustrated has been there from the start of the creation of this roster, breaking the news of James' return and following the team's progress over two years and now celebrates Cleveland's pride with a special commemorative edition collecting the best of SI's Cavs’ coverage through the years. The past and present of Cleveland's team are captured in 104 colorful pages featuring SI’s trademark prose and photos: From Lee Jenkins' 2015 in-depth look at LeBron as he pushed the eventual champs forward, to Michael Rosenberg's profile of Kyrie Irving and look at Tyronn Lue's rise through the coaching world, all of it set in the context of the team's determined run through the playoffs.

The Cavaliers' rise is more than the story of raising a trophy but one about a team that elevated an long-suffering region and burnished an already golden legacy.

Please note that this product is an authorized edition published by Time Inc. and sold by Amazon. This edition is printed using a high quality matte interior paper and printed on demand for immediate fulfillment.