The Golden State Warriors have won the NBA Championship trophy for the fourth time in eight seasons.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Warriors beat the Celtics 103-90 in game six of the Finals in Boston on Friday (NZ time) to clinch a 4-2 series victory.
Stephen Curry led the way, contributing 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to be named Finals MVP for the first time.
"I'm so proud of our group," an emotional Curry said after the win, adding, "... at the beginning of the season nobody thought we would be here except everybody on this court".
The triumph is a remarkable turnaround for the Warriors, who missed the playoffs in the past two seasons amid a torrent of injuries before defeating the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Mavericks and Celtics this year to claim the Larry O'Brien trophy.
"We were so far away from it," Curry said.
"We hit rock bottom with injuries and the long road of work ahead and trying to fill in the right pieces and the right guys. You can't ever take this for granted because you never know when you're going to get back here."
It is the seventh title overall for the franchise, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1946 as one of the original members of the Basketball Association of America.
The Warriors also captured the league's first championship in the '46-47 season.
- Reuters