Only a few NBA losses have remained as fiercely debated as the 2016 NBA Finals. Nearly a decade after the Cavaliers erased the historic 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Warriors, the question of what actually caused the collapse still invites competing explanations. Richard Jefferson recently offered his own theory, pointing toward the physical toll of the Dubs’ historic season. However, Draymond Green clearly did not think Jefferson had identified the real reason.

Jefferson originally made his comment on the Road Trippin’ podcast in December 2025, and later ‘dsmitty.hoops’, a Threads account, reshared it. The clip focused on the cost of chasing the regular-season record. 

“They had to push so hard,” Jefferson said, arguing that the Warriors had played through too many “bumps and bruises” while pursuing 73 wins.

His broader point was that the Warriors may have arrived at the Finals physically compromised. But when Green saw the explanation again, he firmly dismissed it in the comments. He wrote, “Stop it RJ… we all know why,” with a string of laughing emojis.

The response immediately brought attention back to the infamous Draymond Green incident from the 2016 Finals series.

Jefferson’s argument was not difficult to follow. The Dubs had pushed through an extraordinary regular season after already overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. By the time the Finals arrived, Jefferson argued, the Dubs carried the accumulated damage from the campaign.

Stephen Curry had dealt with an ankle issue and an MCL sprain earlier in the postseason; Andrew Bogut then suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Finals, while Andre Iguodala battled a back problem.

From Richard Jefferson’s perspective, those setbacks were evidence that the Warriors had simply run out of gas.

There was another explanation, though, and Draymond Green was at the center of it.

The Warriors led the Cavaliers 3-1 after four games and were on the verge of becoming the first team to win consecutive championships since the 2000s Lakers. Then Game 4 produced the moment that would alter the series.

After LeBron James stepped over Green during a confrontation, the forward swung his arm toward James’ groin. The league later upgraded the incident to a Flagrant 1, giving Green enough accumulated flagrant points to trigger a one-game suspension for Game 5.

That meant the Warriors entered the most important game of the series without their defensive anchor and emotional leader.

The Cavs took advantage. Bron and Kyrie Irving each scored 41 points in Game 5 as the Cavs cut the deficit to 3-2. DrayMagic returned for Game 6, but the momentum had already shifted, and Cleveland eventually completed the comeback in Oakland.

That is why Draymond Green’s reaction carries more than simple disagreement. His “we all know why” comment points toward an event he has reportedly been forced to revisit whenever the 2016 Finals are discussed: his own suspension.

Moreover, Richard Jefferson’s explanation doesn’t necessarily erase the physical problems the Warriors faced. The Dubs were undoubtedly dealing with injuries by the end of the postseason.

But Green’s response suggests that, from his perspective, those issues do not explain the defining turn in the series.

There is also an element of familiarity behind the exchange.

Green and Jefferson were on opposite sides of one of the most memorable Finals in NBA history. And both have since become prominent voices in basketball media. Their willingness to joke and challenge each other keeps that rivalry alive long after their career moved on.

Almost ten years later, the argument remains remarkably simple. Jefferson sees a team worn down by an unprecedented regular-season chase. Draymond Green sees a series that changed when he was forced to watch from the sideline.

Both factors can exist at once. But Green’s laughing response makes clear which explanation he still believes deserves the final word.