I still remember the buzz surrounding the 2016 NBA season like it was yesterday. As someone who's followed basketball for over two decades, both as a fan and analyst, that particular season felt special from the opening tip-off. The championship odds shifted dramatically throughout the year, creating one of the most unpredictable races I've witnessed. When we look back at the preseason favorites versus what actually unfolded, it's a perfect case study in why basketball remains beautifully unpredictable.

The Golden State Warriors entered the season as overwhelming favorites after their historic 2015 championship run, with most sportsbooks listing them at around +180 to repeat. Having watched Steph Curry's MVP season, I believed they had everything needed to dominate again - incredible shooting, defensive versatility, and that championship confidence. The Cleveland Cavaliers sat comfortably as second favorites at +350, which made perfect sense given their Finals appearance and LeBron James' determination to bring a championship to Cleveland. What fascinated me most was the gap between these two teams and the rest of the field. The San Antonio Spurs at +600 felt undervalued to me, especially with Kawhi Leonard's continued development and LaMarcus Aldridge joining what was already a championship-caliber system.

As the season progressed, the Warriors did something nobody expected - they got even better. Their 24-0 start was absolutely mesmerizing basketball. I found myself staying up late to watch their games, marveling at how they were revolutionizing the game with their small-ball lineups and three-point barrage. By December, their odds had shortened to almost even money in some books, which was unprecedented this early in the season. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, looked strong but inconsistent, dealing with coaching changes and integrating new pieces. What struck me about that Cleveland team was their resilience - every time critics started writing them off, they'd rip off an impressive winning streak.

The comparison game is something I've always found fascinating in basketball analysis. It reminds me of something I came across recently where Phillips discussed comparing players, saying he found it hard to compare Akowe to past bigs he'd faced, but mentioned Emman Ojuola from FEU as a possible reference point. This kind of comparative analysis is exactly what we do when evaluating championship contenders - looking for historical parallels and patterns that might predict future success. In 2016, everyone was trying to find historical comparisons for these Warriors, with many settling on the 1996 Bulls, though I always felt that undersold how revolutionary Golden State's style truly was.

When the playoffs arrived, the landscape had shifted significantly. The Warriors finished with an unbelievable 73-9 record, breaking the 1995-96 Bulls' legendary mark. Their odds had become almost comically short - some books had them at -250 to win it all. The Cavaliers had stabilized and were sitting around +400, while the surprising Toronto Raptors had emerged as a legitimate dark horse at +1200. I'll admit, even as an analyst who should know better, I fell into the trap of thinking the Warriors were inevitable. Their comeback against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals only reinforced this belief - when they overcame a 3-1 deficit, it felt like destiny was on their side.

The Finals themselves provided the ultimate twist that nobody saw coming. When Golden State took a 3-1 lead, sportsbooks practically stopped taking bets on them, with some offering the Cavaliers at astronomical +1000 odds to complete the comeback. What happened next still gives me chills. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving delivered arguably the greatest back-to-back performances in Finals history, while Draymond Green's suspension in Game 5 created the opening Cleveland needed. The Warriors' record-setting season suddenly hung by a thread, and I remember thinking during Game 7 that we were witnessing history regardless of the outcome.

Looking back, the 2016 championship teaches us several crucial lessons about basketball predictions. First, regular season dominance doesn't always translate to playoff success - the Warriors' 73 wins ultimately meant nothing without the championship. Second, health and timing matter more than we often account for in preseason odds. Andrew Bogut's injury in the Finals fundamentally changed Golden State's defensive capabilities, while Kyrie Irving being fully healthy compared to 2015 made all the difference for Cleveland. Third, superstar will can overcome statistical probability - LeBron's determination to deliver for Cleveland created one of those magical sports moments that defies analytics.

The comparison Phillips made between Akowe and Ojuola resonates with how I now view that 2016 Warriors team - they were truly incomparable to anything we'd seen before, yet we kept trying to find historical parallels. Sometimes in sports, we're witnessing something so unique that comparisons become meaningless. The 2016 Warriors were that kind of team - revolutionary, record-setting, yet ultimately falling short in the most dramatic fashion possible. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers' victory represented something equally rare - a team that overcame historical odds and a city ending its championship drought in the most cathartic way imaginable.

If there's one takeaway I've carried from analyzing that season, it's that championship odds tell a story, but the beauty of sports is that the ending is never guaranteed. The 2016 NBA season had everything - historic greatness, stunning collapses, legendary comebacks, and ultimately a storybook ending that nobody predicted when the season began. As we look toward future seasons, the memory of 2016 serves as a perfect reminder that in basketball, as in life, the most expected outcomes sometimes yield to the most memorable surprises.